History of video games/Platforms/ApeXtreme
History
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Apex Digital was founded in 1997.[1]
The ApeXtreme was set to launch in spring, and then the summer of 2004 at a cost of around $399 for the full unit, and $299 for a reduced capability console.[2][3] The announcement of revised specifications around March 2004 also included raising the price to $499.[4] This would also cause VIA to seek a partner in the handheld gaming space,[5] which they would find in the VIA MOMA.
At E3 2004 Apex Digital showed support for DISCover.[6]
In December 2004 the chairman of Apex Digital was arrested by authorities in China on charges of fraud.[7] At the time Apex had 113 employees.[7]
By January 3rd, 2005 development on the ApeXtreme was postponed, with DISCover support being dropped from the planned console.[8]
Technology
[edit | edit source]CES 2004 Specs
[edit | edit source]Compute
[edit | edit source]The ApeXtreme uses a VIA CN400 processor clocked at 1.4 gigahertz[9]
The GPU of the ApeXtreme is a S3 DeltaChrome.[9]
Hardware
[edit | edit source]The ApeXtreme had planned to use a 40 gigabyte IDE hard drive and a DVD player for storage.[9][3][10]
Via Vinyl Audio was going to be used to offer Dolby 5.1 sound output.[9]
The ApeXtreme offered 10/100 megabit ethernet, and also a dial up modem with a speed of 56.6 kilobits per second for internet connectivity.[11][9]
Software
[edit | edit source]The ApeXtreme runs an embedded version of Windows XP.[3][10]
Mid 2004 specs
[edit | edit source]Compute
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The ApeXtreme was supposed to use an AMD Athlon XP 2000+ processor.[4][12]
The ApeXtreme was set to use a GeForce 4MX GPU built into a motherboard using the nForce2 chipset by Biostar.[4][12]
RAM used was 256 megabytes of DDR SDRAM clocked at 256 Megahertz.[4][13]
Hardware
[edit | edit source]The revised system still included a 40 gigabyte hard drive.[4][12]
The ApeXtreme was supposed to be capable of recording video.[4][12]
Notable games
[edit | edit source]The ApeXtreme was intended to play existing PC games.[3]
External Resources
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- Video Game Console Library - DISCover technology and ApeXtreme page.
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ a b "Apex Digital, Inc. -- Company History". www.company-histories.com. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ↑ "Nine Toys the Techies Are Drooling For". Washington Post. 21 March 2004. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ↑ a b c d "CES04 Live: Driving to Convergence". Sound & Vision. 11 January 2004. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ↑ a b c d e f "Widescreen Review Webzine News Apex Digital Announces Final Specifications And Partners For Its Revolutionary ApeXtreme DVD Player And PC Game Console". www.widescreenreview.com. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ↑ "VIA Plans Handheld Gaming Console?". Neoseeker. https://www.neoseeker.com/news/3342-via-plans-handheld-gaming-console/.
- ↑ Becker, David. "Game handhelds to take spotlight at E3" (in en). ZDNet. https://www.zdnet.com/article/game-handhelds-to-take-spotlight-at-e3/.
- ↑ a b "US company boss arrested in China". 30 December 2004. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ↑ Maragos, Nich. "Gamasutra - The Art & Business of Making Games". www.gamasutra.com. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ↑ a b c d e "Spot On: The ApeXtreme PC Game Console". GameSpot. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ↑ a b "VIA/Apex Game Console Details Leaked - Slashdot". games.slashdot.org. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ↑ "mini-itx.com - news - ApeXtreme Gaming Console shown at CES". www.mini-itx.com. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ↑ a b c d "ApeXtreme specs revamped". The Tech Report. 26 March 2004. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ↑ "E3 2004: DISCover Discovered - IGN". Retrieved 12 November 2020.