While everyone else is reflecting on the last 12 months, a graphic designer has created a project that goes back even further than the beginning of 2021—way further.
Michael Feeney’s (mac)OStalgia project is a fascinating look at how macOS Monterey would look in 1999 before OS X ever came along. As he describes it, (mac)OStalgia explores how his work-from-home routine in 2021 would look with “the limitations of yesterday. Unreliable internet, little disk storage, macOS 9, and much more.”
It’s all here: Chrome, Zoom, Notes, Spotify, even Slack, and Figma, all looking and working as well (or not) as they would in 1999. Feeney’s project is most impressive for its attention to detail, capturing the beauty and simplicity of macOS 9 while highlighting how today’s apps would struggle. Check out some images below and watch the whole video above—and be sure to stay for a clever surprise at the end.
Michael Feeney/macOStalgia
Michael Feeney/macOStalgia
Michael Feeney/macOStalgia
Michael Feeney/macOStalgia
Michael Feeney/macOStalgia
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.