Every AI app looks the same. Clean white interface, floating bubbles, maybe a dark mode option if they're feeling adventurous. Someone finally asked: what if Claude launched in 1998?
Features
AI Desktop 98 wraps modern AI assistants inside a fully interactive Windows 98 desktop. The experience starts with a BIOS boot sequence—the kind where you'd hear dial-up modem sounds while waiting for your 56k connection. Start menu, taskbar, draggable windows, CRT monitor overlay with scan lines. It's not a skin. It's a simulation.
The AI integration is serious despite the nostalgic wrapper. Supports Apple Intelligence and local MLX models for 100% on-device processing. Or bring your own API keys: OpenAI (ChatGPT), Anthropic (Claude), Google Gemini, Groq, Ollama, LM Studio. All requests route directly to the providers—no middleman servers, no data collection. The developer's privacy statement is blunt: "No user data is collected."
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| AI Providers | Apple Intelligence, MLX (local), OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Groq, Ollama, LM Studio |
| On-Device | Yes, via Apple Intelligence and MLX |
| Privacy | Direct API connections, no developer servers |
| File Management | My Documents folder, Recycle Bin for deleted chats |
| Easter Eggs | Minesweeper |
| App Size | 1.8 GB (includes local model support) |
Requirements
Requires iOS 26.0 or later, iPadOS 26.0 or later, macOS 26.0 or later (M1 chip or newer), or visionOS 26.0 or later for Apple Vision. The 1.8 GB download size is mostly from bundled local AI models—not assets. This is a functional AI client, not a retro UI toy.
Pricing
Free. No subscription, no in-app purchases. The App Store listing shows zero monetization beyond the free download.
Community Reception
App Store rating: 4.3 stars. Users call it "the coolest app on my phone" and praise the nostalgia execution. Reddit threads show requests for more Easter eggs—old games, a Clippy assistant, maybe Solitaire. Some technically inclined users noted minor historical inaccuracies in the simulated BIOS/POST sequences (mismatched RAM/CPU specs), but these critiques are minor compared to the overall positive reception.
Sources
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ai-desktop-98/id6761027867 https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1t2ydlt/claude_got_access_to_a_clock_and_immediately_lost/