Apricot F1

The Apricot F1 was a compact British 16-bit computer aimed at smaller businesses and advanced home users. Its low-profile system unit held an 8086 processor and a 3.5-inch drive, with a separate infrared keyboard and optional infrared trackball.

Colour graphics, bundled productivity software and ACT’s Activity front end made the F1 unusually approachable for a business machine. Later examples were supplied with more memory and Digital Research GEM as Apricot refined the range.

Notable Features

• Infrared links allowed the keyboard and trackball to operate without conventional signal cables.
• Compact wedge-shaped system unit was designed to sit beneath the monitor.
• Bundled office software and a graphical front end encouraged use straight from the box.

Historical Significance

• Brought Apricot’s distinctive industrial design and 16-bit architecture to a lower price point.
• Formed the basis of the F1e, F2 and F10 family.

Collector’s Notes

• Early Activity and later GEM software bundles are both historically appropriate.
• The infrared peripherals, external power supply and original boot disks are key parts of a complete system.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Apricot F1
Manufacturer	Apricot Computers
Launched	Friday, June 1, 1984
Country	United Kingdom
CPU	Intel 8086 at 4.77 MHz
Units Sold
Operating System	MS-DOS with Activity; later systems supplied with GEM
I/O	RS-232, Centronics parallel, RGB, composite and Apricot expansion
Keyboard	92-key infrared keyboard; optional infrared trackball
Storage	One 720KB double-sided 3.5-inch floppy drive
Sound	Internal speaker
Graphics	Colour graphics up to 640 x 256 depending on mode
Display	External RGB or composite monitor
ROM	32KB, expandable depending on revision
RAM	256KB standard; expandable to 768KB; later version 1MB
CPU Speed	4.77 MHz