Reframe is an open-source browser based on Electron for macOS that brings back the look & feel of Safari 1.0, Netscape 4.8, Firefox 1.0 and Internet Explorer 5.0, with a built-in Wayback Mode.
Hey Product Hunt 👋
I'm Maik, maker of RetroMac, and today I'm launching Reframe, an open-source retro browser for macOS that lets you surf like it's 1999, powered by a modern Chromium engine.
Reframe recreates the look and feel of classic browsers: Safari 1.0, Internet Explorer 5.0, Netscape 4.8, Firefox 1.0, and many more coming. Toolbar icons, status bar, spinning throbber, the whole deal. But underneath, it loads today's web just fine: modern apps, JavaScript, video, all of it.
The fun part: there's a built-in Wayback Mode (find it in the Help menu) that lets you browse pages as they actually looked back then.
It's not meant to replace your daily browser. It's for the moments when you want nostalgia, vibes, and a different kind of focus.
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@maik_klotz Congrats on the launch! LOVE the retro vibe - a pleasant trip back in time for us oldies! Are you doing a Windows version soon?
This is so fun! Yeah, sometimes I really do want to go back in time. World of Warcraft Classic is really popular, and this is pretty much internet classic mode :D. Nice work!
The modern Chromium engine under a classic browser UI is a fun mix. Wayback Mode also makes it more than nostalgia, since you can actually browse the web in its old context.
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💡 Bright idea
Love this idea. The older I get, the more I appreciate products that remove complexity instead of adding it. There's something refreshing about software that remembers simplicity.
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simplebanking
@maik_klotz Congrats on the launch! LOVE the retro vibe - a pleasant trip back in time for us oldies! Are you doing a Windows version soon?
simplebanking
@anna_ludwinowski Yes I am working on a windows Version as well!
@maik_klotz Awesome, thanks! Just curious - why couldn't you apply the retro style to your daily browser?
simplebanking
@anna_ludwinowski You can.. but if you need plugins, etc. tnan its better to use something else
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
This is the vibe I remember when I first tried a computer in my early years. Totally basic UI, and I was amazed as a kid. Brilliant!
simplebanking
@busmark_w_nika yes the good old times ◡̈ maybe you like retromac as well…
Does this also include 1999-level latency?
simplebanking
@ligaya_beebe Nope, but I love the idea
simplebanking
@ligaya_beebe In the next Update!
Looks fun to use. How exactly does it pull the old version of a website?
simplebanking
@aymnart It use the waybackmachine: http://wayback.archive.org/
Wow, that's awesome! Memory unlocked. Like traveling back in time.
When for windows or android?
simplebanking
@manuel_mojica within the next 3 Weeks ◡̈ (Windows)
This is so fun! Yeah, sometimes I really do want to go back in time. World of Warcraft Classic is really popular, and this is pretty much internet classic mode :D. Nice work!
simplebanking
@gmedlin thx <3
The modern Chromium engine under a classic browser UI is a fun mix. Wayback Mode also makes it more than nostalgia, since you can actually browse the web in its old context.
Love this idea. The older I get, the more I appreciate products that remove complexity instead of adding it. There's something refreshing about software that remembers simplicity.
Uselink
simplebanking
@nathan_tran2 The good old times ◡̈