ZX81 Emulator on Android
Run ZX81 programs on your Android powered device.
As more and more people turn to mobile and tablet devices for their entertainment and consumption needs, it is becoming harder to share my ZX81 preservation project. I remember how excited I was when I found a Java based emulator that would run my ZX81 programs on the web. Although Java and I haven’t always gotten along, I was happy to be able to show off my programs on the go with nothing more than a browser available. To my surprise, however, Java isn’t even part of the conversation when talking about those on-the-go OS’s like iOS and Android. All that effort isn’t of much use when a large portion of your audience can’t enjoy it. Fortunately, and much to my surprise, I ran across Zed Ex (Beta) in the Android Market. You can also find it on AppBrain.com.
Zed Ex is an excellent Sinclair ZX81 emulator for Android based devices. The z81 emulator provided the basis for Zed Ex, a staple ZX81 emulator on Unix based hardware. Although not embedded in my browser, it was pretty easy to download and load my ZX81 files and give it a try. It works wonderfully, supporting multiple orientations and various keyboard configurations. Although I would have preferred a more seamless browser experience, Zed Ex works well and I can take satisfaction in knowing I can still run ZX81 programs on my Android devices.
Sadly, a ZX81 emulator for iOS doesn’t exist. That means using my iPod is still out. Perhaps someday someone will create a JavaScript ZX81 emulator. Until then, iOS users can only look at the listings or screen shots. Sorry!
Update: As of August 2015, Zed Ex is no longer officially offered. You can still find APK versions, but I suspect that it will stop working at some point. It is fortunate that the Internet has moved on. There are a few JavaScript emulators that now work just fine, including the one I use on my site!