Internet Basics
What type of internet connection was most commonly used in homes during the 1990s?
Dial-up internet.
In what year was Google founded?
1998.
In what year was Amazon founded?
1994.
What colorful computer released in 1998 helped make Apple popular again?
The iMac.
This pop group released the hit song “Wannabe” in 1996 and told everyone what they really, really wanted.
The Spice Girls.
What internet company became famous for the phrase “You’ve Got Mail”?
AOL (America Online).
Who founded Google?
Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Why did many people distrust online shopping during the early years of Amazon?
Many people worried about credit card security, scams, and whether online purchases would actually arrive safely.
Which Apple co-founder became one of the most influential technology leaders of the 1990s?
Steve Jobs.
This sitcom featured six friends living in New York and began with the line, “So no one told you life was gonna be this way.”
Friends.
What device usually could not be used while connected to dial-up internet?
The telephone/home phone.
What type of website made Google famous during the 1990s?
A search engine.
What did Amazon originally sell before expanding into other products?
Books.
How did Apple make computers different from many competitors during the 1990s?
Apple focused on user-friendly and visually appealing computer design.
This gaming company released the Nintendo 64 in 1996.
Nintendo.
This 1990s technology shift led to email becoming a common way to communicate, gradually replacing some letters and non-urgent phone calls by letting people send messages almost instantly from home computers.
Widespread internet adoption.
This innovation in late-1990s search technology improved results by evaluating the importance of webpages based on how many other sites linked to them, rather than just counting keywords.
Link-based ranking system.
This 1990s development reshaped retail by letting consumers browse digital catalogs and order goods without visiting a store, introducing conveniences like home delivery and expanding competition beyond local businesses.
E-commerce.
Explain how Apple influenced technology culture during the 1990s.
Apple influenced technology culture by making computers more visually appealing, user-friendly, and accessible to everyday consumers through products like the iMac.
This basketball legend retired from the NBA in 1993, returned in 1995 with the words “I’m back,” and won more championships with the Chicago Bulls.
Michael Jordan.
Analyze how expanding internet access during the 1990s helped create modern digital society.
The growth of internet access transformed communication, education, shopping, business, and entertainment, creating many digital systems and habits society still depends on today.
Analyze how Google permanently changed access to information and communication in modern society.
Google transformed society by making information instantly accessible online, changing education, research, communication, and the way people interact with knowledge every day.
Analyze why Amazon is considered one of the most influential companies of the digital age.
It transformed global consumer habits, revolutionized logistics, and pioneered cloud computing.
Analyze why Apple became one of the most important technology companies in modern history.
Apple became one of the most important technology companies because it combined innovation, creativity, and user-friendly design to influence modern computers, phones, entertainment, and digital technology.
These virtual pets from Japan became a huge fad in the late 1990s and needed to be fed and cared for on a small handheld device.
Tamagotchis.