In our ever-changing world, every decade brings with it new and exciting prospects, trends, and products for us to obsess over. The 90s were no different. It was a decade characterized by quirky technological fads and questionable fashion trends, but it was a magical time. Looking back on some of the things that defined the 90s can make you tear up with nostalgia, or cringe. Here’s a collection of random things from that decade—let us know what emotions it evokes.
#1: Clippy the Microsoft Office Assistant
Back in the ‘90s, Microsoft used colorful characters to make computers seem less intimidating. One example was having a friendly “Office Assistant” that appeared in Microsoft Office applications from the late ’90s to early 2000s. There were many assistants to choose from, all with their own personalities and animations. But the default assistant was a paperclip named Clippit, AKA Clippy.
Many people found these assistants more annoying than helpful, and since Clippy was the default, he became the scapegoat. Microsoft got the memo and even made Flash videos mocking Clippy, where the late Gilbert Gottfried fittingly voiced him. Despite their hate, I do have a nostalgic fondness for these things. With AI assistants being the norm now, it may be time to create Clippy-GPT.