In the 1990s, computers went mainstream, and the brand-new World Wide Web stitched it all together.
Everyone was now connected through browsers like Netscape.
The “i” in Apple’s iBook meant “internet.”
USRobotics modems screeched “online!” and AOL discs offered “free hours” of dial-up.
Mobility was quickly adopted, as laptops hit backpacks and phones went wireless.
Personal Digital Assistants like the Palm Pilot and Apple’s Newton hinted at always-on, in-your-pocket computing.
Video games attracted more players than ever.
DOOM popularized basement LAN parties and Tomb Raider brought cinematic 3D heroes to home consoles.
In the ‘90s, design, mobility, and mass connectivity rewired everyday life—and set the stage for ours.
Join Senior Curator Dag and Exhibit Developer Kiera as they go behind the scenes at the Computer History Museum and decide on their top artifacts from the ‘90s.
But did they get it right? What’s the one piece of ‘90s tech you think is missing? Tell us in the comments!
See our new ‘90s pop-up exhibit for yourself by visiting the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – The Impossible Task
00:35 – Apple iBook: When Computers Got "Lickable"
01:35 – Netscape Navigator & The Browser Wars
02:22 – Console Wars: Sega Genesis vs. Super Nintendo
03:28 – Myst: When Video Games Became Art
04:30 – The Vision of a 90s Coder
05:05 – The Virtual Boy: A 3D Flop
06:30 – Apple Newton: A Glimpse of the Future
07:15 – Sargon Chess: Man vs. Machine
08:05 – Tomb Raider & The Rise of the Female Protagonist
08:45 – Do You Yahoo!? A Sherpa for the Early Internet
09:45 – What Did We Miss?
SOURCES & CREDITS:
*All third-party materials in this video are used under fair use for educational and commentary purposes.
FROM OUR COLLECTION
Apple Newton, MacWorld cover (1993), Object ID 500004726.
Endgame: Challenging the Masters (2005), Catalog # 102651039.
iMac Bondi Blue (2010), Catalog # 102798152.
Metroid game cartridge (1987), Object ID 102711609
Press Releases and Product Information for Sony’s PlayStation (1995), Catalog # 102712088.
Sargon Chess program (1990), Catalog # 102633904.
Yahoo! Postcards (2000), Catalog # 102789051
IMAGES
Clamshell iBook (Blueberry) by Redjar (Wikimedia Commons).
Mario’s Tennis screenshot (1995 Virtual Boy) by Brainfloat (Wikimedia Commons)
Apple Newton promotional ad (c. early 1990s), via Paleotronic: ‘The Apple Newton: A Fruit That Ripened Too Soon’ (2018).
Apple “Yum.” iMac G3 promotional poster (c. 1999).
iBook G3 (Key Lime) image posted in r/VintageApple (Reddit) by u/AlecLikesMacintosh.
‘Mortal Kombat (1992 video game)’, by MarphyBlack (Wikipedia).
Mosaic Netscape 0.9 on Windows XP screenshot, © Netscape/Microsoft.
New Balance 990v6 product photo by Beck Shoes, https://www.beckshoes.com/product/new-balance-990v6-m990gl6-grey.
‘North American Virtual Boy’, by Evan-Amos (Wikipedia).
Original Apple iBook “clamshell” ad (1999), reproduced in https://www.cultofmac.com.
Original iBook ad by Apple (1999), reproduced in https://lunduke.substack.com.
Screenshot from Friends – Season 9, Episode 2, "The One Where Emma Cries" (2002), from www.starringthecomputer.com.
Screenshot from Sex and the City – Season 4, Episode 8, "My Motherboard, My Self" (2001), from www.starringthecomputer.com.
Screenshot from The Princess Diaries (2001), from www.starringthecomputer.com.
Screenshot from Zac and Miri Make a Porno (2008), from www.starringthecomputer.com.
Screenshot of Forbes article: “Beyond Meta Quest 4: Meta Reveals Future Tech Of VR Headsets” by Andrew Williams (Forbes, Aug. 12, 2025).
Screenshot of Forbes article: “Maximizing Mobile Productivity With Apple Vision Pro And MacBook Pro” by Anshel Sag (Forbes, Sept. 3, 2025).
Screenshot of Yahoo News article: “Yahoo’s Iconic Neon Billboard In SF Torn Down” by Andrew Couts (Yahoo News, Nov. 18, 2011).
Steve Jobs image from Newsweek, ‘Steve Jobs: American Genius’ (May 1995). Source: https://www.newsweek.com/steve-jobs-american-genius-67193
’Welcome to Netscape.gif’, © Netscape, used under fair use for educational commentary in this video.
‘Yahoo! Homepage in 1994’, Yahoo Inc (Flickr).
‘Yahoo! Homepage in 1995’, Yahoo Inc (Flickr).
‘Yahoo! homepage (1997)’, www.versionmuseum.com
VIDEOS
Clip from Legally Blonde (2001), © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / MGM.
Clip from The Princess Diaries (2001), © The Walt Disney Company.
Gameplay clip: Myst (1993) — © Cyan Worlds, Inc. Source: @Squakenet
Gameplay clip: Tomb Raider (original, 1996) — © Eidos Interactive / Core Design. Source: @Squakenet
Gameplay clip: Sargon V: World Class Chess (1991), © Activision, Inc. Source: @GuardianMisterioso
Internet Explorer 1.0 commercial (1995), © Microsoft. Source: @_retropixel
Nintendo Virtual Boy commercial (1995), © Nintendo. Source: @RPGsForRaccoonsI
Sega Genesis commercial (1990), © Sega. Source: @ChicagoRetroGamer
Yahoo! commercial (date unknown), © Yahoo! Inc. Source: @tmblk
About The Author
