Nostalgia for Old Web Design

Re
RemovedUserList by RemovedUser, last updated 
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  1. Neocities icon
     Like

    literally forgot to add this even tho it's the 1st thing that pops up when i think of sites that look like they're from the early 2000s

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Online
    Neocities screenshot 1
    Neocities screenshot 1
    Neocities screenshot 2
  2. "Lighter Simulator with Concert Mode" is a simulator of a metal cigarette lighter.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    Lighter Simulator Concert Mode screenshot 1
    Lighter Simulator Concert Mode screenshot 2
    Lighter Simulator Concert Mode screenshot 3
  3. WinRAR icon
     Like

    Compress and encrypt files with versatile software, supporting multiple formats for secure data transfer and offering efficient storage options.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • BSD
    • ReactOS
    WinRAR screenshot 1
    WinRAR screenshot 1
    WinRAR screenshot 2
    +4
    WinRAR screenshot 3
  4. GIMP icon
     Like

    customizable icon set

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • Flatpak
    • AmigaOS
    yes
    GIMP 2.99.18 on Windows, non-default theme.
    GIMP screenshot 2
    +5
    GIMP screenshot 3
  5. Media Players & Radio

  6. skinnable / themes

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • AppImageHub
    • Apple Watch
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Apple TV
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Kindle Fire
    • Haiku
    • Android TV
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    VLC Media Player screenshot 1
    VLC Media Player screenshot 1
    VLC Media Player screenshot 2
    +4
    VLC Media Player screenshot 3
  7. AIMP icon
     Like

    skinnable / themes / custom iconset The mobile app also has retro themes.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • PortableApps.com
    AIMP screenshot 1
    AIMP screenshot 1
    AIMP screenshot 2
    +4
    AIMP screenshot 3
  8. SMPlayer icon
     Like

    themes

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • mpv
    • Snapcraft
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • MPlayer
    • Flathub
    • Homebrew
    Playing video - Default Skin
    Main Window - Dark Skin
    Option - Tablet Mode
    +4
    SMPlayer on a GNU/Linux Machine
  9. MPC-BE icon
     Like

    Media Player Classic - Black Edition (MPC-BE) is a fork of MPC and MPC-HC. It moved away from MPC's aim to mimic the look and feel of Windows Media Player with updated player controls and provides additional features on top of MPC-HC such as a video preview tooltip when...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    MPC-BE screenshot 1
    MPC-BE screenshot 1
    MPC-BE screenshot 2
    +2
    MPC-BE screenshot 3
  10. Advanced audio player supporting MP3, FLAC, and more. Features gapless playback, customizable UI, audio CD ripping, ReplayGain, and plugin support.

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Foobar custom.
    Customized with the Columns UI plugin.
    Foobar custom.
    +3
    Foobar untouched.
  11. Clementine is a cross-platform free and open source music player and library organizer. It is a port of Amarok icon Amarok 1.4 to the Qt 4 framework and the GStreamer multimedia framework, focusing on a fast and easy-to-use interface for searching and...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    Clementine with lyrics pane
    Icecast radio stations
    Smart playlists and kittens
  12. System Tweakers, Window Managers, & Desktop Environments

    if you use linux, you can use any window manager for this

  13. Window Maker has a reputation for being fast, efficient and highly stable. Window Maker has been characterized as reproducing "the elegant look and feel of the NeXTstep GUI" and is noted as "easy to configure and easy to use.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Window Maker, from www.windowmaker.org
    WPrefs graphical configuration tool
    Window Maker screenshot 2
    +8
    Window Maker screenshot 3
  14. Open Shell is a fork of the Classic Shell project for Windows that getting back the classic start menu to modern versions of Microsoft Windows.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Open Shell screenshot 1
    Open Shell screenshot 1
    Open Shell screenshot 2
    +2
    Open Shell screenshot 3
  15. Cairo is a desktop environment for Windows. Its goal is to develop a desktop experience that increases productivity and advances current technology standards.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Cairo Shell screenshot 1
    Cairo Shell screenshot 1
    Cairo Shell screenshot 2
    +2
    Cairo Shell screenshot 3
  16. Openbox icon
     Like

    Openbox is a highly configurable, next generation window manager with extensive standards support.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    BlackWhite theme by lyrae @ box-look.org
    Dyne theme by lyrae @ box-look.org
    Clearlooks theme by davidbarr @ box-look.org
  17. The Emerald Theme Manager allows you to install, edit and switch between Emerald themes. In order for it to work, select Emerald as your window decorator. You will also need to enable the Window Decorations plugin (via CCSM).

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Debian
    • Ubuntu
    • BSD
    Emerald Theme Manager screenshot 1
    Emerald Theme Manager screenshot 1
    Emerald Theme Manager screenshot 2
    +1
    Emerald Theme Manager screenshot 3
  18. SharpEnviro (or SharpE) is an open source shell replacement system for Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. When using SharpEnviro the default Windows desktop is replaced by a new and more powerful desktop environment.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Default Setup
    Multiple toolbars
  19. bbLean icon
     Like

    bbLean is the lean version of Blackbox for Windows. It tries to keep balance between features and complexity, to give you some efficient means within a compact shell.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    bbLean screenshot 1
    bbLean screenshot 1
  20. Customize Windows interface with themes and skins, offering personalization for the Start menu, taskbar, and more, including fonts and colors.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    WindowBlinds screenshot 1
    WindowBlinds screenshot 1
    WindowBlinds screenshot 2
    +6
    WindowBlinds screenshot 3
  21. Curtains icon
     Like

    Enables custom Windows 10 style modes, supports pre-made and user-created themes, modifies title bar, Start button, gradients, and legacy OS looks.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Curtains screenshot 1
    Curtains screenshot 1
    Curtains screenshot 2
    +1
    Curtains screenshot 3
  22. StartIsBack returns Windows 8 a real fully featured start menu and start button, behaving exactly like the ones in Windows 7. StartIsBack radically improves desktop usability and makes new Start screen clutter-free.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Boot to Desktop
    Original fully-featured Windows 7 start menu
    Desktop and Modern interfaces are clearly separated
    +1
    Rich customization and configuration
  23. Browsers

  24. SeaMonkey icon
     Like

    Web-browser, advanced e-mail, newsgroup and feed client, IRC chat, and HTML editing in one application. Itis built on the open source Mozilla Gecko engine, the same code which underlies Thunderbird and is the base for the Firefox browser.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    SeaMonkey screenshot 1
    SeaMonkey screenshot 1
    SeaMonkey screenshot 2
    +3
    SeaMonkey screenshot 3
  25. Lynx icon
     Like

    Lynx is a fully-featured World Wide Web (WWW) browser for users on Unix, VMS, and other platforms running cursor-addressable, character-cell terminals or emulators. That includes vt100 terminals, other character-cell displays, and vt100 emulators such as Kermit or Procomm...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • Xfce
    Lynx on Windows.
    Lynx on Linux.
  26. Pale Moon icon
     Like

    An open-source web browser forked from Mozilla Firefox. It focuses on security, efficiency, customization, and no data gathering.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Pale Moon screenshot 1
    Pale Moon screenshot 1
    Pale Moon screenshot 2
    +1
    Android Version (Discontinued)
  27. Sleipnir icon
     Like

    Sleipnir is a Japanese tabbed web browser, released by Fenrir Inc. It is designed to be a highly customizable browser that you can configure to suit your individual needs. With Sleipnir, you can create your ideal browser by changing the design, skin, and visual appearance. You c.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    Windows 10
    iOS
    iOS
    +6
    Android
  28. Links icon
     Like

    Links is a text mode web browser, released under GPL. Links2 has the ability to display graphics.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    Links screenshot 1
    Links screenshot 1
    Links screenshot 2
  29. Slimjet icon
     Like

    Slimjet is a fast, smart and powerful web browser based on the Blink engine. It is built on top of the Chromium open source project, on which Google chrome is also based. Slimjet integrates a lot of powerful and convenient features to help users maximize their online...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Slimjet screenshot 1
  30. Vivaldi icon
     Like

    only some themes

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Android Auto
    • Flathub
    The only web browser powerful enough for you!
    Vivaldi on desktop Welcome screen
    Vivaldi on desktop Speed Dial
    +38
    Vivaldi v7.0 on desktop
Dashboard
  31. Operating Systems

  32. Trisquel icon
     Like

    Trisquel is a computer operating system, a GNU + Linux distribution, derived from another distribution, Ubuntu, which is derived from Debian.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Trisquel screenshot 1
    Trisquel screenshot 1
    iso
    +11
    Login
  33. Gentoo icon
     Like

    Gentoo Linux is a versatile, fast, highly configurable and completely free Linux and FreeBSD distribution geared towards developers and network professionals.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • FreeBSD
    Gentoo screenshot 1
    Gentoo screenshot 1
    Gentoo screenshot 2
  34. Q4OS icon
     Like

    Fast and powerful operating system based on the latest technologies while offering highly productive desktop environment. We focus on security, reliability, long-term stability and conservative integration of verified new features.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Raspberry Pi
    Q4OS screenshot 1
    Q4OS screenshot 1
    Q4OS screenshot 2
    +10
    Q4OS screenshot 3
  35. Dynebolic icon
     Like

    Free software operating system for media activists, artists and creatives. Dynebolic is as a practical tool for multimedia production: you can manipulate and broadcast both sound and video with tools to record, edit, encode and stream, having automatically recognised most...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Dynebolic
    Dynebolic
    Dynebolic
  36. Mods, Forks, 3rd Party Clients, & User Styles

    stuff that lets you modify your aesthetic for other websites

  37. Stylus icon
     Like

    Redesign the web with Stylus, a user styles manager.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Opera
    • Brave
    • Chromium
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Stylus screenshot 1
    Stylus screenshot 1
    Stylus screenshot 2
    +2
    Stylus screenshot 3
  38. Vencord icon
     Like

    some themes

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Discord
    • Google Chrome
    • Mozilla Firefox
    • Tampermonkey
    Vencord screenshot 1
  39. SMTube icon
     Like

    Free Youtube browser for SMPlayer icon SMPlayer which allows to browse, search and play YouTube videos. No flash needed!

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • SMPlayer
    • VLC media player
    • MPlayer
    SMTube screenshot 1
  40. I2P+ icon
     Like

    I2P+ is an enhanced version of the Java I2P anonymizing network platform that aims to deliver a superior user experience and improved network performance while retaining full compatibility with upstream I2P.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • I2P
    I2P+ screenshot 1
    I2P+ screenshot 1
    I2P+ screenshot 2
    +7
    I2P+ screenshot 3

updates:

  • added sleipner 6, gimp, libreoffice, neocities, lighter simulator concert mode, rss guard, slimjet, the text-based web browsers: links & lynx, linux window managers, winrar, and aimp
  • added operating system section

Comments

RemovedUser
1

From this list I use only vivaldi, but it's great!

Review by a new / low-activity user.
Gu