Summary
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AI Desktop 98 runs modern LLMs inside a Windows 98-style desktop for a playful, nostalgic AI experience.
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Retro touches: Chat Trash, dial-up style browser loading, plus Minesweeper.
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Works with Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Apple Intelligence, Grog and native models; currently iOS only.
For me, one of the most interesting ways to explore retro technology is to imagine if the sequence of inventions is different from what we experience in real life. For example, what if we managed to get LLMs like Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini up and running? before Are we past the Y2K bug scare?
If you want a glimpse of what this alternate reality might look like, then AI Desktop 98 might be for you. It’s a program that lets you control your AI assistants on a Windows 98-like desktop, and it looks like what the writers of Back to the Future 2 would have imagined if they were asked to put LLMs in the movie.
AI Desktop 98 shows us the reality that Clippy is really useful
And it looks great
On it CloseAI subreddituser SoftSuccessful1414 talks about what inspired them to create AI Desktop 98. It all started when they asked Claude to pretend to play Windows 98, and he did a surprisingly good job of playing the role. SoftSuccessful1414 even claims that Claude will pretend to wait for a modem connection before starting to talk.
This inspired SoftSuccessful1414 to go a step further and prepare a complete program This brings our beloved LLMs back to 1998. Although the inspiration comes from Claude, AI Desktop 98 also works with Apple Intelligence, OpenAI, Gemini, Grog, and native MLX models. However, it’s not just a pretty UI; the app also comes with some nice retro touches, including a Recycle Bin for deleted chats, a browser that loads websites like dial-up, and Minesweeper. Because, of course, you need Minesweeper.
Currently, the app is only available on the Apple App Store, with no indication of an Android version on the horizon. Still, it’s a great program that shows how inventive people can get with their LLM.
