Microsoft Windows 98 Internet Explorer and all the taskbar add-ons that proliferated.
They paired nicely with the pop-ups and blinking text.
10:32 PM · Jun 7, 2026 · 23K Views
Sentiment
Many users fondly recall the cluttered Windows 98 Internet Explorer design as peak nostalgia or handy, while others criticize the visual overload, ads, and clutter as headache-inducing or nightmarish.
Pos
75.0%
Neg
25.0%
13 comments with sentiment.
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Brian Roemmele@BrianRoemmele
Let me use a search engine to find out…
Brian Roemmele@BrianRoemmele
Microsoft Windows 98 Internet Explorer and all the taskbar add-ons that proliferated.
They paired nicely with the pop-ups and blinking text.
4hViews 7.5KLikes 63Bookmarks 3
MoonriseBill@MoonriseBill
@BrianRoemmele I remember mine looked similiar I ran virus scan on my machine it found something 17 000 viruses, i cleaned it and the computer just died, it was the viruses keeping the whole thing together
16hViews 81Likes 10
Fanboy Bob@FanboyBob
@BrianRoemmele I use openshell so my UI still looks just like Win 98. It was peak (though I never used all that gaudy garbage in thetaskbar).
Just wish I coud still use that old Windows Mail client...
18hViews 126Likes 2
CosmicWeaver@RealSassyKat
@BrianRoemmele how it feels looking at this.
17hViews 99Likes 5
FrostTalkIRL@FrostTalkIRL
@BrianRoemmele Google was launched in like 2001 or 2002
IF thats a real Win98 IE screen, its from years later
20hViews 131Likes 1
merighen@merighen1
@BrianRoemmele Do you have a GIF (with motion please) of the wacky paperclip guy? Every piece of software now tries to "help" with some annoying ai. I think that paperclip was put there to lead us into so helpers. We should have killed it then... 😱
20hViews 209
DiscoCowboy@Disco77Cowboy
@BrianRoemmele Microsoft Edge and anything on Google news ALL still do this. It's easier to cruise the Internet from your phone bc you can close the ads quicker rather than on a laptop. I'm afraid it'll never stop though. Somewhere somehow somebody's making that 1/2 cent click money
13hViews 69
DeletedURL@DeletedURL
@BrianRoemmele Oh my, that brings back some memories. 👀
20hViews 119Likes 3
Laurent@scion_x_
@BrianRoemmele
19hViews 143Likes 2
God's X@Godsx2023
@BrianRoemmele Wow looks so old 😦
20hViews 130Likes 2
Mister Lousy@Mr_Lousy
@BrianRoemmele
19hViews 89Likes 2
The Dude@ENKI0311
@BrianRoemmele OMG the 2000s. Something is wrong with my computer. Can you stop by my office and look at it. Sit down and see this. Taking a smoke break real quick. 😂 Ah the old IT days.
15hViews 72Likes 2
Avalanche Forever@citchmook
@BrianRoemmele Google search bar was actually handy and the only one i really used.
12hViews 647
Brock Cheddar@BrockCheddar
@BrianRoemmele <marquee> anyone?
20hViews 78Likes 1
jeff pruet@jeffpruet
@BrianRoemmele lol. My girlfriend's computer was like this. I fixed it for her :)
19hViews 148
Ineberiated.Bear 58k.Gang@TamagoFluffy
@BrianRoemmele Peak design
19hViews 37Likes 1
Daughter of Liberty@LadyMayflower7
@BrianRoemmele This site, and its packaging, is like a throwback to the early '90s when everyone just designed their own websites: https://www.gentlegiantsdogfood.com
I'm a designer, and it hurts my eyes, like the above. 🤣
12hViews 96
Rosalia Sands 🦝🐰✝️@Rose_the_Bun
@BrianRoemmele This was basically what mine looked like lol
19hViews 62
JB@BaggJan
@BrianRoemmele The only things missing are a rotating "Under construction" GIF, some animated GIFs of dogs running back and forth, the dancing baby, and the Office Clippy paperclip assistant.
9hViews 52
Mike Raab@thedizzyhub
@BrianRoemmele This brings back a lot of memories… i just want to fire up winamp
13hViews 52
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