APF Electronics Inc.
 | |
| Industry | Consumer electronics, video games |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Queens, NY |
Key people | Al Friedman, Phil Friedman, Ed Smith, Steve Lipper, Harry Cox, Howard Boylen, Kenny Boylen |
APF Electronics Inc. was a publicly traded company in the United States dedicated to consumer electronics. The company's name comes from the initials of the two brothers who founded the company, Al & Phil Friedman.[1]
History
The company was founded to import stereos from Japan to the U.S., specifically quadraphonic sets and 8-track player. They moved into calculators.[2]
APF had locations in Queens, NY where they were headquartered, and in Hong Kong, where they owned a factory. In all, APF employed 300 people.[2]
Products
APF marketed calculators in the early 1970s. Models such as the Mark III and Mark V had LED displays and used C batteries.[3]
APF TV Fun was a series of classic first generation video game consoles. It is one of the first system based on the common AY-3-8500 chipset from General Instrument. There are TV Fun Model 401A and TV Fun Sportsarama. The series was first available in 1976.[4]
APF-MP1000, also called M-1000, was a second generation video game console released in 1978 at a price of $130 (~$607.00 in 2023).[5] Twelve cartridges were released in addition to the built-in game Rocket Patrol.
APF PeCos One was a computer system released in 1978.[6] The name stood for "Personal Computing System." It came equipped with two built-in tape drives[7] and a monitor. Instead of using BASIC it used a proprietary language called PeCos 1,[8] which was a version of JOSS.[9]
APF Imagination Machine was a computer module released in 1979 for $599 (~$2,515 in 2023). When combined with the M-1000 console it became a computer. The module added RAM, BASIC, a 53-key typewriter keyboard, and a dual-track cassette tape deck with 1500 baud rate for digitally recorded tape programs. The specifications were the result of reverse engineering several popular computers at the time.[2]
APF Mathemagician is a tabletop handheld calculator game released in 1980. By itself, it's a math learning tool and standard calculator, but it has 6 different overlays that convert it into one of several games.[10]
APF Imagination Machine II was a computer-video game console hybrid that was in the final development stages around 1983. It was more powerful and was an all-in-one unit. The project was cancelled. It is unknown if any prototypes exist.[2]
Bankruptcy
The video game crash of 1983 caused the APF Imagination Machine II project to be cancelled and APF, by then a publicly traded company, filed for bankruptcy.[2]
References
- ^ "APF Electronics Inc". Old Apps. oldapps.com. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "APF Page". Archived from the original on November 7, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ "APF". Vintage Calculators Web Museum. vintagecalculators.com. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ "Museum of Video Games - APF Electronics Inc". Museum of Video Games. MoVG. Archived from the original on July 5, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ "Tag Archives: APF Electronic Inc". Gamester81. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ PeCos One. computerhistory.org. 1978.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ "Company Profile: APF Electronics Inc. (New York, N.Y.)". Classic Tech: Vintage computers and related technology. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014.
- ^ Loguidice, Bill. "Home Computer Designations of the Late 1970s: A Feature Article". Armchair Arcade. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ Edwards, -Benj (February 9, 2016). "Ed Smith and the Imagination Machine". Fast Company.
- ^ "APF Mathemagician". Handheld Museum. Retrieved January 31, 2014.