<s>
The	O
APF	B-Device
Imagination	I-Device
Machine	I-Device
is	O
a	O
combination	O
home	B-Device
video	I-Device
game	I-Device
console	I-Device
and	O
home	O
computer	O
system	O
released	O
by	O
APF	O
Electronics	O
Inc	O
.	O
in	O
late	O
1979	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
two	O
separate	O
components	O
,	O
the	O
APF-M1000	B-Device
game	O
system	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
add-on	O
docking	O
bay	O
with	O
full	O
sized	O
typewriter	O
keyboard	O
and	O
tape	O
drive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
APF-M1000	B-Device
was	O
built	O
specifically	O
to	O
compete	O
with	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
full	O
APF	B-Device
Imagination	I-Device
Machine	I-Device
,	O
including	O
the	O
APF-M1000	B-Device
console	O
and	O
the	O
IM-1	O
computer	O
component	O
,	O
originally	O
sold	O
for	O
around	O
(	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
one	O
BASIC	O
interpreter	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
bundled	O
with	O
the	O
system	O
,	O
only	O
15	O
official	O
game	B-Protocol
cartridges	I-Protocol
were	O
ever	O
released	O
by	O
APF	O
Electronics	O
Inc	O
,	O
although	O
several	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
contain	O
multiple	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
games	O
were	O
created	O
by	O
an	O
active	O
programming	O
community	O
of	O
owners	O
and	O
distributed	O
through	O
the	O
monthly	O
newsletter	O
,	O
released	O
on	O
cassette	B-Device
tape	I-Device
or	O
printout	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
APF	O
had	O
planned	O
on	O
releasing	O
a	O
follow	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
M1000	O
Imagination	B-Device
Machine	I-Device
game	O
console	O
,	O
but	O
went	O
out	O
of	O
business	O
just	O
before	O
the	O
console	O
could	O
go	O
to	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
impetus	O
for	O
the	O
Imagination	B-Device
Machine	I-Device
was	O
to	O
beat	O
to	O
market	O
Atari	O
's	O
preannounced	O
but	O
never-launched	O
plans	O
to	O
extend	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
to	O
become	O
a	O
home	O
computer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
design	O
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
reverse	O
engineering	O
the	O
TRS-80	B-Device
,	O
Commodore	B-Device
PET	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
home	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
engineering	O
department	O
wanted	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
design	O
modular	O
for	O
optional	O
expansion	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
marketing	O
department	O
wanted	O
to	O
bundle	O
some	O
features	O
,	O
so	O
the	O
preliminary	O
result	O
was	O
an	O
integrated	O
cassette	B-Device
tape	I-Device
drive	O
.	O
</s>
