The Italian computer: Italy's Olivetti was an early pioneer of digital computers and transistors

“I HAVE MADE MY DECISION: We are going to scrap the first version of our computer, and we will start again from scratch.” It's the autumn of 1957, and Mario Tchou, a brilliant young Chinese-Italian electrical engineer, is speaking to his team at the Olivetti Electronics Research Laboratory. Housed in a repurposed villa on the outskirts of Pisa, not far from the Leaning Tower, the lab is filled with vacuum tubes, wires, cables, and other electronics, a startling contrast to the tasteful decorations of the palatial rooms.