Online Emulators
As a quick way to try out a retrocomputing system, you can use an online emulator. Here are a few options:
- 8-bit Workshop is a web-based IDE that includes a number of retrocomputing systems. It provides for development in both C and assembly language, with a number of integrated tools to help you get started. The systems available include:
- Commodore 64
- Apple II
- Atari 2600
- Nintendo Entertainment System
- ColecoVision
- Atari 800
- MSX
- Amstrad CPC6128
- JsBeeb is a web-based emulator for the BBC Micro, a popular home computer in the UK in the 1980s (for people who were happy to spend about £400 on a computer). The emulator includes a number of disk images that you can boot from in the emulator. Also, check out this BBC Basic environment for rapid development of BASIC code on the BBC Micro.
- RC700 is a web-based emulator for the RC700, a Danish home computer from the 1980s that ran CP/M. The emulator includes a number of CP/M disk images that you can boot from in the emulator (and which are described and downloadable here).
- Infinite Mac emulates a variety of early Macintosh systems and operating systems and NeXT systems. The systems available include:
- Macintosh 128K, running System 1.0 (1984)
- Mac IIfx, running System 6.0.5 (1990)
- NeXTstation, running NEXTSTEP 2.0 (1990)
- PCjs is primarily focused on emulating PC hardware, but also includes a number of other systems, including:
- IBM PC (Model 5150)
- IBM XT (Model 5160)
- IBM AT (Model 5170)
- PDP/11 running RSTS/E (but not Unix)
- v86 is a web-based emulator that can run a number of different PC operating systems, but also Version 7 Unix on a PDP-11. (This emulator does not work in Safari, but does work in Chrome and Firefox.)
Bonus: Here's Bad Apple on Everything YouTube playlist, which shows the Bad Apple video running on a variety of retrocomputing systems (and other things, too).
(When logged in, completion status appears here.)