Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tank!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!apple!oliveb!oliven!donh
From: donh@oliven.olivetti.com (Donald Herrick)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops
Subject: Re: Olivetti M211
Keywords: Olivetti M211
Message-ID: <55821@oliveb.olivetti.com>
Date: 28 Feb 90 16:39:57 GMT
References: <3472@tukki.jyu.fi>
Sender: news@oliveb.olivetti.com
Reply-To: donh@xsft2.UUCP (Don Herrick)
Distribution: comp
Organization: Olivetti
Lines: 42

In article <3472@tukki.jyu.fi> tarvaine@tukki.jyu.fi (Tapani Tarvainen) writes:
> Does anybody have any experience or info about Olivetti M211/M211V?

I'm the product planner for Olivetti portable PCs, does that count?

> Like, who actually makes it (I suspect Olivetti just buys them from
> some Japanese firm and tags its sign on it)?

The current Olivetti laptop line (M111, M211, M211V and M316) was
developed by a company jointly owned by Olivetti and a large Japanese 
manufacturing company.  Olivetti fully specified the requirements for 
the PCs, designed the case, assured that quality, compatibility and 
reliability requirements were met, and markets them, while the Japanese 
company manufactures them.

> Is the display any good, and is the VGA version visibly better (worse?)
> in text mode?

The VGA is very nice.  It is a large display with an excellent aspect
ratio and has 32 intelligently mapped shades of gray.  It uses the
FTN (Formulated Super-Twisted Nematic) technology (black and white), 
while the EGA display on the M211 uses STN (blue and silver).  Text and
graphics both display better on the M211V.

> Any good reasons NOT to buy one?

I guess you can't expect a non-biased opinion from me, but truthfully,
with the high performance CPU (12MHz 0 wait state) and hard disk (27 ms)
and the integrated standard half-size slot, the M211 and M211V are best
suited to the role of (highly portable) desktop replacement.  If you are 
looking for a note-taking machine for your briefcase, look elsewhere.
These machines are a good balance of high power, low weight and good
battery life.

> Tapani Tarvainen    (tarvaine@jyu.fi, tarvainen@finjyu.bitnet)

By the way, I am interested in hearing any comments any users have on
using the new line of Olivetti portable PCs.

Don Herrick - Product Planner for Portable PCs - Olivetti Office

................... what's a .signature?.....................