Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Wayback Machine VS Pointer Pointer

Compare Wayback Machine VS Pointer Pointer and see what are their differences

Wayback Machine logo Wayback Machine

Browse through over 150 billion web pages archived from 1996 to a few months ago.

Pointer Pointer logo Pointer Pointer

Pointer Pointer is an entertainment and fun site that allows users to have fun with their cursor.
  • Wayback Machine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-24
  • Pointer Pointer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2025-03-18

Wayback Machine features and specs

  • Historical Access
    The Wayback Machine allows users to view archived versions of web pages, providing access to information that may no longer be available on the live web.
  • Research Utility
    It serves as an invaluable resource for researchers, journalists, and historians who need to reference past web content for their studies or articles.
  • Crisis Mitigation
    The Wayback Machine can help recover lost content, such as when websites go offline or when changes are made without backups.
  • Legal Evidence
    Archived pages can be used as legal proof in disputes involving online content, providing a timestamped snapshot of how a website appeared at a given point in time.
  • Learning Resource
    It offers educational value by allowing users to see the evolution of web design, online marketing strategies, and the digital landscape over time.

Possible disadvantages of Wayback Machine

  • Incomplete Archives
    Not all web pages are captured, and even if a page is archived, it might not have all its content (e.g., images, videos, dynamic content) fully intact.
  • Time Delay
    There is often a delay between when a web page is live and when it is archived, which means the most recent changes might not be available.
  • Legal and Ethical Issues
    There are potential legal and ethical concerns around privacy and copyright, as some content may be archived without the permission of the content owner.
  • Load and Performance Issues
    Accessing the archives can sometimes be slow, and the performance might be limited compared to the original, live website.
  • Inaccuracies
    Certain interactions and dynamic functionalities (e.g., forms, interactive scripts) may not work as expected in archived pages, leading to potential inaccuracies in representation.

Pointer Pointer features and specs

  • Entertainment
    Pointer Pointer offers a unique and entertaining experience by finding a photo with a person pointing at the cursor location, which can be amusing to users.
  • Simplicity
    The website features a simple and intuitive interface, making it easy to interact with and enjoy without requiring any technical skills.
  • Novelty
    The concept of finding and displaying a corresponding pointing image at different cursor positions is a novel idea that captures users' curiosity.
  • User Engagement
    The website encourages users to move their cursor around, increasing interaction and engagement as users test different positions to see new images.

Possible disadvantages of Pointer Pointer

  • Limited Functionality
    Pointer Pointer offers a single-function experience, which may lead to limited user engagement over time as there are no additional features to explore.
  • Novelty Wears Off
    While the concept is initially intriguing, the novelty can wear off quickly, leading to a decrease in repeat visits from users.
  • Lack of Practical Use
    The site does not serve a practical purpose or provide any useful information, which might not appeal to users seeking productivity or educational content.
  • Slow Performance
    Depending on the speed of the internet connection, loading new images might take time, potentially leading to a less satisfying user experience.

Wayback Machine videos

The Wayback Machine - View Old Websites in Your Web Browser! (Overview & Demo)

More videos:

  • Review - The Wayback Machine: Preserving the History of Web Pages
  • Review - The Wayback Machine: Review

Pointer Pointer videos

No Pointer Pointer videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Wayback Machine and Pointer Pointer)
Bookmark Manager
100 100%
0% 0
Entertainment
0 0%
100% 100
Productivity
85 85%
15% 15
Web App
84 84%
16% 16

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Wayback Machine and Pointer Pointer

Wayback Machine Reviews

Alternative search engines
The Wayback Machine is the search engine of the Internet Archive, a digital archive that aims to preserve as much content from the public web as possible. So, it is not a search engine in a traditional sense as much as a time machine for the Internet

Pointer Pointer Reviews

We have no reviews of Pointer Pointer yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Wayback Machine seems to be a lot more popular than Pointer Pointer. While we know about 1008 links to Wayback Machine, we've tracked only 42 mentions of Pointer Pointer. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Wayback Machine mentions (1008)

  • S.F. leaders share action plan for youth violence in wake of stabbings, brawls and weapons at schools
    I also use the Wayback Machine at https://web.archive.org/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • is it possible to raise my gpa to at least 3.8?
    For your course idk, but if rly dh, go to https://web.archive.org/ this is called way back machine which is used to find older version of websites. Just enter nyp.edu.sg into the search bar and select the date. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Palace is 'keeping close eye on French riots' ahead of King's State visit to Paris this week
    Rule #5 - #5: Don't link to bad websites. Use archived versions: Avoid linking directly to tabloids or hateful websites. Please use the Wayback Machine or Archive.is. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Is there a sub for bypassing the requirement to have an account for websites?
    For those sites that have blocked the service, there's also the Wayback Machine at Archive.org. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Bill Maher slams San Francisco's 'crazy' reparations plan
    In a pinch you can get access to gated Chron articles thru the Wayback machine. https://web.archive.org/. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

Pointer Pointer mentions (42)

  • Issue with mouse hover
    I've just installed Sonoma and it works mostly ok. Though I've ran into this issue where the OS doesn't seem to know where my mouse is until I click. The cursor itself is displayed where it should be and all, but if I right click something on the dock then I can't really click anything in the menu. If I hold the right click and then hover to what I want to do in the menu then it works. I also went to the website... Source: over 1 year ago
  • Show HN: I made a really silly personal landing page
    Very neat! Reminds me of this: https://pointerpointer.com I'll say, I'm very disappointed in what happens when I put the cursor between your eyes. :). - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • What are some amazing websites that are flying under the radar?
    This website where people point at your pointer. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Clock
    This reminds me of https://pointerpointer.com/ which finds pictures with the right pointer instead of quotes with the right time. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Anyone have playful / fun websites they like? This one is my favorite.
    Https://pointerpointer.com/ always gives me a laugh for a good bit. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Wayback Machine and Pointer Pointer, you can also consider the following products

Archive.md - archive.is allows you to create a copy of a webpage that will always be up even if the original link is down

The Useless Web - The Useless Web is a massive collection of some of the world’s most pointless websites.

Archive.org - Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library offering free universal access to books, movies...

RadioGarden - An interactive map of live radio stations across the globe.

12 Foot Ladder - Prepend 12ft.io/ to the URL of any paywalled page, and we'll try our best to remove the paywall and get you access to the article.

Every Noice at Once - Every Noise At Once is a web app that lists every single music genre in an explorable, listenable...