Ian Adamson and Richard Kennedy note that the popularity of the ZX81 was "subtly different from the run-of-the-mill social fad"; although most enthusiasts were in their teens or early twenties, many were older users – often parents who had become fascinated by the ZX81s that they had bought for their children.
Ian Adamson e Richard Kennedy apuntaban que a popularidade do ZX81 era "sutilmente diferente da moda común"; a pesar de que a maioría dos afeccionados fosen adolescentes ou mozos, moitos eran usuarios máis vellos, a miúdo pais que deviñan fascinados polo ZX81 que compraban para os seus nenos.