1996 in computing, games and technology
112 milestones from 1996: 22 computers and hardware, 25 peripherals, 10 software, 6 games, 20 games, 6 games, 1 books, 5 movies, 13 events, 3 legal milestones, 1 world events.
Open 1996 in the interactive timeline The 1990s
Computers and hardware
- Compaq Presario notebooks
- Sony VAIO
- Apple QuickTake 200
- Kodak DC20
- Kodak DC50
- Casio QV-100
- Olympus D-300L
- Canon PowerShot 600
- Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F1
- Epson PhotoPC
- Polaroid PDC-2000
- PalmPilot
- Apple Bandai Pippin
- AMD K5
- Gateway Destination
- Toshiba Libretto 20
- PlayStation Net Yaroze
- Nintendo 64 (Japan)
- Nokia 9000 Communicator
- HP OmniBook 800CT
- Nintendo Game Boy Pocket
- Nintendo 64 (North America)
Peripherals
- Logitech WingMan Extreme
- Gravis Xterminator
- Roland SC-88Pro
- Ensoniq Soundscape VIVO90
- Turtle Beach Tropez
- Matrox Mystique
- Creative 3D Blaster PCI (Rendition Vérité V1000)
- VideoLogic Apocalypse 3D (PowerVR PCX1)
- S3 ViRGE
- Imation SuperDisk LS-120
- Seagate Cheetah 4LP
- Nintendo 64 Controller Pak
- USB 1.0
- ATI 3D Rage
- Sony Glasstron PLM-50
- Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)
- ATI 3D Rage II
- Microsoft SideWinder Game Pad
- Sega NetLink
- 3dfx Voodoo Graphics (Diamond Monster 3D)
- Orchid Righteous 3D
- Microsoft IntelliMouse
- Sound Blaster AWE64
- ATI All-in-Wonder
- Happy Hacking Keyboard
Software
- Linux 2.0
- Debian 1.1 (Buzz)
- Hotmail launches
- Windows NT 4.0
- Internet Explorer 3
- Windows 95 OSR2
- Red Hat Linux 4.0
- ICQ
- Windows CE 1.0
- Macromedia Flash 1.0
Games
Games
- MissionForce: CyberStorm
- Final Doom
- SMAUG
- Civilization II
- Silent Thunder: A-10 Tank Killer II
- Descent II
- Resident Evil
- Indiana Jones and His Desktop Adventures
- Afterlife
- Lighthouse: The Dark Being
- The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
- Duke Nukem 3D: Plutonium PAK
- Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares
- Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars
- Lords of the Realm II
- Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh
- The Realm Online
- Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
- NASCAR Racing 2
- Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition
Games
- Mortimer and the Riddles of the Medallion
- Battlecruiser 3000AD
- Pyst
- Clippy arrives with Office 97
- Bubsy 3D
- Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail!
Books
Movies
- Mission: Impossible
- The Rock
- Triumph of the Nerds premieres on PBS
- Independence Day
- Space Jam
Events
- Dell starts selling PCs on the web
- AMD completes purchase of NexGen
- Tom's Hardware Guide founded
- Internet Archive founded
- GameSpot launches
- E3 1996 in Los Angeles
- NEC and Packard Bell merge
- Escom declares bankruptcy
- Sierra On-Line acquired by CUC International
- First QuakeCon
- First Tokyo Game Show
- Valve founded
- Apple announces it will buy NeXT
Legal milestones
- Telecommunications Act signed
- Tamagotchi released in Japan
- Tickle Me Elmo frenzy
World events
- Dolly the sheep born