Olivetti Envision
The Olivetti Envision was an Italian multimedia personal computer produced in 1995. It came with a choice of two processors: one based on the Intel 486 DX4 100 MHz processor and one based on the Intel Pentium P75 processor. It had an infrared keyboard and an internal modem, and it was compatible with audio CDs, CD-ROMs, Photo CDs and Video CDs. It came with preinstalled programs that allowed it to work as a fax and an answering machine when connected to the telephone line. It had three possible operating modes: simple mode ; intermediate mode ; advanced.
The declared goal for this device was to convince non-computer-savvy people that computers are not impossibly hard to use and can be bought and used like normal home appliances. For this reason, it was intentionally designed to resemble a videocassette recorder more than a computer and it was equipped with two SCART sockets, a TV-like remote control and a slot that would host a satellite decoder card.
The Olivetti Envision was discontinued in 1996 due to poor sales, caused by its excessive price, many software bugs and limited expandability.
