Retro Computing
195 sites
https://guidebookgallery.org/
GUIdebook is an extensive archive created by Marcin Wichary dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history of graphical user interfaces across dozens of operating systems, from Windows and Mac OS to BeOS, NeXTSTEP, and Amiga OS. Visitors can explore screenshots, icons, splash screens, sound files, timelines, advertisements, and articles tracing the evolution of GUI design from the earliest experiments to the early 2000s.
https://whoishohokam.com/
Hohokam's personal site is a self-described 'high-tech mid-life crisis' packed with hands-on projects spanning retro 8-bit computers, hacked consoles, 3D printing, home lab networking, and Raspberry Pi tinkering. Alongside the tech projects, the site features record collecting, hi-fi audio upgrades, and a curated collection of Portland street art, making it a genuinely eclectic Web 1.0-style corner of the internet.
https://softwareangel.neocities.org/
Software Angel's Computer Heaven is a cheerful personal page by Angel, a retro tech enthusiast who collects vintage computers, games, and gadgets spanning Windows, Linux, and Macintosh systems. The site features sections for art, gaming, reading, plushies, shrines, and a dedicated retrotech area, making it a cozy corner of the old web full of personality and nostalgia.
https://grizz.atwebpages.com/
Grizz's World is a charmingly retro personal homepage from Iowa packed with ASCII art, computer logs, recipes, and musings from a self-described computer nut who references Alf, Growing Pains, and an uncertain enthusiasm for Star Trek: The Next Generation. The site features original BASIC software available via FTP, a guestbook, webrings, and a scattershot mix of old-web personality that makes it a genuine time capsule.
https://crustywindo.ws/Main_Page
CrustyWindows is a wiki dedicated to archiving and documenting bootleg Windows operating system modifications, spanning versions from Windows 1.x all the way through Windows 11. With 544 articles cataloging modified ISOs, custom editions, and unofficial Windows variants created by hobbyists, it's a fascinating deep dive into the underground world of Windows modding culture.
https://98.js.org/
98.js brings the classic Windows 98 desktop experience directly to your browser, letting you interact with a faithful JavaScript recreation of the iconic operating system. It's a nostalgic tech demo and functional simulation that captures the look and feel of late-90s computing without installing anything.
https://phoenixim.ddns.net/phoenix/index.php
Phoenix, created by Wildman Productions, is a revival service that brings back the classic instant messaging platforms of the late 1990s, including AIM, Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, and MSN, letting users chat using the original software clients once more. The project is a labor of love dedicated to preserving the social networking experience of the pre-Facebook era, complete with server infrastructure, custom client downloads, and an active user community.
https://peelopaalu.neocities.org/
Peelopaalu is a hand-curated link directory maintained by a single person until July 2024, collecting a wonderfully eclectic mix of old web gems, retro tech blogs, Habbo Hotel archives, ASCII art, DOS resources, and internet oddities. The directory spans hundreds of links across five pages, offering a snapshot of niche internet culture that feels like a guided tour through forgotten corners of the web.
https://wmpskinsarchive.neocities.org/
A comprehensive archive of Windows Media Player skins, preserving hundreds of classic WMP themes ranging from official Xbox and game tie-in skins to fan-made designs from the early 2000s era. Each entry includes a preview image and a direct download link, with a bulk ZIP option for grabbing the entire collection at once.
http://lost-theory.org/ocrat/chargif/char/c1e9.html
A reference page from the 'ocrat' project displaying character glyph c1e9, likely part of a larger archive of character encoding or font bitmap data from legacy computing systems. The site appears to document extended ASCII or Unicode characters rendered as GIF images, making it a niche but useful resource for retro computing and character set research.