What your favourite websites looked like in the 90s
THE internet has come a long way in a few decades. It’s easy to forget how quickly things change. So here’s what your favourite sites looked like in the 90s.
Do you remember what your favourite websites looked like in the 90s? These were the days before Facebook; before Twitter and even before YouTube. Yahoo! was the king of search engines. We had to wait until 1998 before Google finally came along.
Yes, the 90s were a simpler time. Watching a 30-second porn clip took half a day, and your dial-up modem sounded like it was having a seizure each time it connected. That’s if it connected at all.
Technology has advanced a lot since the 90s — and thanks to the Wayback Machine — we can see exactly how much things have changed since then. Be prepared to cringe!
Pepsi (1996)
This is long before the time of broadband, but this website still manages to pull off a futuristic feel. It seems like you would have needed a Shockwave plug-in and a bunch of other applications just for the website to function correctly.
Coca-Cola (1996)
The yellow background probably makes you want to barf; but this website lacks one very important fundamental of website design — a logo. Of course, the Coca Cola website of today has much more pizzazz, with many thousands of dollars worth of branding pumped into it.
Apple (1997)
Do you want a free CD-ROM? Perhaps it would make better use as a coaster. The EMATE300 must be Apple’s 90s version of the iPod. These days, it’s all about ‘that watch’.
Mars (1997)
Of course this website looks like it is designed by someone who barely knows how to turn on a computer — its 1997!
Lego (1996)
The colour grey just doesn’t work. Overall, this is one atrocious-looking website that would not see the light of day in 2015. Unfortunately, it doesn’t reflect the awesomeness of their product.
Yahoo (1996)
Yahoo! was the first to categorise an extensive listing of websites. And while they paved the way for other search companies, Yahoo! is still going relatively strong.
But they’re no Google ...
Google (1998)
Google has worked hard at being the best in delivering the most relevant results. They’re the undisputed lord of the World Wide Web. This image is from 1998.
Hotmail (1999)
And lastly, who doesn’t remember Hotmail? Almost everyone who had internet access had a Hotmail account in the 90s. It was easy to use and of course — it was free.
The internet sure has changed in the last two decades, and I think we could all agree that we’re better off for it. The cringe-worthy websites have gone (well, a part from this one from 1996), and we’re now blessed with modern, sleek web design.
What changes do you think have made the biggest impact? Are there any websites you remember from the 90s? Leave a comment below to let us know.
Follow Daniel Tolliday on Twitter @danieltolliday