APF Imagination Machine

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APF Imagination Machine


Manufacturer	APF Electronics Inc
Type	Video game console
Generation	Second generation
First available	1979
Media	Cartridges

The APF Imagination Machine was a combination home video game console and computer system released by APF Electronics Inc. in late 1979. It was composed of two separate components, the APF-M1000 game system, and an add on docking bay with full sized typewriter keyboard and tape drive. The APF-M1000 was built specifically to compete with the Atari 2600, and did so fairly well until the Video game crash of 1983. The Imagination Machine has the distincion of being one of, if not the first, affordable home PCs to connect to the television, and is still one of the most expandable consoles ever marketed. The full APF Imagination Machine, including the APF-M1000 console and the IM-1 computer component originally sold for around $700.

1 Specifications
2 Special Features
3 Games
4 APF IM-2 Console
5 External links

[edit] Specifications

CPU: 8-bit 3.579 MHz Motorola 6800
ROM: 14kb
RAM: 9kb
Resolutions: 256x192x4 / 128x192x8
Colors: 8
Controllers: 2
- 13 buttons
  - 0-9 numeric keypad
  - Clear and End key
  - Trigger
- 4 way joystick

[edit] Special Features

The APF Imagination Machine had a few stand out features for its time.

[edit] APF Basic

First and foremost, was the bundled APF Basic compilier, which would allow almost anyone to program their own games and programs. Most retailers of the system offered a full and hefty instruction manual to teach you how the specialized code worked, and most even offered a tech sheet that specified every function of every chip on the console, so as to allow the users to make the most efficient code possible. To encourage more home users to create their own games and trade them, a monthly mailing list was started that lasted well through the video game crash of '83 and into the era of the next generation of consoles.

[edit] Special Cassette

Second, and often one of the most marketed features of the console, was the fact that it had a dual sided cassette drive, that would allow the user to not only write or use a game or program from it, but also either record their own voice to it or listen to prerecorded audio. The feature was generally used for programmers to leave notes of their work, or for instructions to be read aloud before a game was played.

[edit] Peripherials

Third, the console had an unprecedented number of aftermarket add-ons, which included:

RS232 Storage Cartridge
Floppy Disk Storage
8k RAM Cartridge
Mini Floppy Disk Storage
Telephone Modem

As well as a hub of sorts, generally called the "building block" which would allow for the connection of a good deal of standard computer accessories.

[edit] Games

Only 15 official game cartridges were ever released by APF Electronics Inc, and 1 cartridge that came with the console, the Basic compilier; although several game cartridges contained multiple titles. Many games were created by an active proramming community of owners and distributed through their monthly newsletter, but these were all released only on tape cassette form, or in some cases, merely as a print out of the code that would have to be recompiled if it was not transferred through a copied cassette.

The official game list is as follows:

Artist and Easel
Backgammon
Baseball
Blackjack
Bowling / Micro Match
Boxing
Brickdown / Shooting Gallery
Budget Manager
Casino
Catena
Hangman / Tic-Tac-Toe / Doodle
Pinball / Dungeon Hunt / Blockout
Rocket Patrol
Space Destroyers
UFO / Sea Monster / Break it down / Rebuild / Shoot

[edit] APF IM-2 Console

APF had planned on releasing a follow up to the original M1000 Imagination Machine game console, but went out of business just before the console could go to market. No official specs have ever been released, although some who were with the company at the time have mentioned that it was essentially the same M1000 core with typical upgrades.

[edit] External links

v • d • e Selected home game consoles
First generation
Magnavox Odyssey • Pong • Coleco Telstar
Early second generation
Channel F • Atari 2600 • Odyssey² • Intellivision
Later second generation
Atari 5200 • ColecoVision • Vectrex • SG-1000
Third generation (compare)
NES • Master System • Atari 7800
Fourth generation (compare)
TurboGrafx-16 • Mega Drive/Genesis • Neo Geo • SNES
Fifth generation (compare)
3DO • Jaguar • Saturn • PlayStation • N64
Sixth generation (compare)
Dreamcast • PlayStation 2 • GameCube • Xbox
Seventh generation (compare)
Xbox 360 - PlayStation 3 - Wii