Windows 3.0 arrived in 1990, and its Multimedia Extensions release followed in 1991, adding early sampled sounds for PCs that were still learning to play audio. The clap survived through system sound collections, emulators and soundboards, long after the hardware faded. Online, creators pair it with other retro interface noises like the classic error sound, using its dated texture as shorthand for old software, fake applause and deadpan internet humour that still feels instantly recognisable today.