I don't understand the line about the db25 monitor
connector being able
to break a printer. Could you explain?
The Olivetti M24 (and I guess the AT&T 6300) used a DB25 conenctor for
the monitor -- socket on the back of the machine, plug on the monitor
cable. This connector carried power lines (+/-12V I think, maybe just +12V)
for a monochrome monitor.
If you plugged a normal PC printer cable into that socket, that supply
did nasty things ot the input logic (at least) of the printer on the
other end of the cable.
-tony