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VirtualKim - 6502 Emulator app for iPhone and iPad


4.8 ( 5488 ratings )
Education
Developer: John Kennedy
Free
Current version: 1.20, last update: 1 year ago
First release : 10 May 2021
App size: 10.92 Mb

The 6502 microprocessor changed the world. Released in the 1970’s, it was the reason that home computers were within the reach of many hobbyists. This app re-creates the 6502 CPU and some of the hardware that used it. This isnt a game (although games are included), this is an emulation of the 8-bit processor, complete with an assembler and some programming puzzles to solve.

Start with the most basic user interface you can imagine — 7-segment LEDs and some buttons — to enter, debug and run your applications. Then upgrade to a display and keyboard, and use the built-in monitor program to dump memory, makes edits and execute your code. Can you run BASIC? Maybe. FORTH? Perhaps. Assembler? Definitely!

Dont think of this as a game (or something "fun" or "enjoyable" in the traditional sense). Think of it as a puzzle: how on earth did those folks in the 1970s manage to do ANYTHING when computers were this basic?

Documentation is provided, but to get the most of out of this app youll need to do your own research. Just like in the 1970s.