Description :

Ed Smith - the story of an African American developer and the MP1000

In this virtual talk, join Ed Smith as he tells the story of how he successfully lifted himself up from the gangs, drugs and crime of his environment to become a pioneering technologist. Imagine that!

Ed Smith was born in Brooklyn, New York during the turbulent 1960s when riots decimated his environment. Ed would stay out of trouble by fixing appliances in his neighbourhood. This early knowledge led him to attend a high school that specialised in technical electronics. 

He worked for a company that designed traffic control systems when the microprocessor industry was taking off. The firm sent Ed and others to Fairchild to study the microprocessor technology that would be used for new controllers in the early 1970s.

Ed leveraged this knowledge to gain employment at APF Electronics, a major manufacturer of calculators, adding machines and the Pong video game. He became a member of the design team that then developed the MP1000 colour video game. The team then adapted the video game to a computer console and The Imagination Machine was born - the only hybrid video game/personal computer sold at that time!

Ed Smith, along with Jerry Lawson (Channel F) were the only two African Americans to work in the design of a video game at that time. Ed was also one of very few African Americans to work on the design of a personal computer then too.

The talk will begin at 7pm and last around 1 hour, with the opportunity to ask questions afterwards. A link to join the event will be emailed to you on the day of the talk, so please ensure the email address you enter at checkout is correct.

ANNUAL PASS HOLDERS - Please enter your pass number at checkout.