What is a screensaver?

A screensaver is a program, just like many other programs on your computer. It is specialized by the fact that Windows will utilize it in a specific way. When your computer has been idle for a certain amount of time, Windows can sense it and will turn the screensaver on. The program will then display some kind of graphical design or text that constantly moves around the screen. You will usually see it in action when you walk away from the computer for a time and leave the screen on. Don’t be alarmed by it, just move your mouse a little to disengage the program and get back to whatever you were doing when you left!

Screensavers show themselves in many ways! It can be simply a blank screen (screen will be black), a design will seem to “draw itself� on your screen and then disappear when full and start drawing again, show a continuing slideshow of pictures, display animations of cartoon type figures, even display text that moves up and down and all over the screen! They are many, many types of screensavers available for your computer, but most people will never use more than the ones that came as part of your main software of Windows!

What Are Screensavers Used For?

Screensavers were originally designed to protect computer monitors from phosphor burn-in. Because I’ve worked with computers since 1974 I know first hand about the problem and why screensavers quickly became so important to computer users. Early CRT monitors (those are the big, bulky monitors available today, not the sleek flat panel ones!), particularly monochrome ones (yes we had only one color early on, usually green or amber), had problems with the same image being displayed for a long time.

The phosphors in the monitor that created the text and early ‘graphics’ on those screens would ‘glow’ the information onto the screen. Users of computers in the 70’s and 80’s usually worked on programs that displayed the same kind of information over and over again, like a spreadsheet for bookkeeping or an input screen for databases. What would happen to these screens is a constant bombardment of these phosphors in a set pattern that would actually discolor the inside glass surface of the CRT. This discoloration was then visible as a ‘ghost’ image that would be ‘burned’ onto the surface and any other display that was brought up would be ‘overridden’ on the monitor by that image. This harmful process made it difficult to use that monitor with any other program and eventually the monitor would have to be replaced. This was an expensive proposition for most companies who owned computers back then as monitors were priced in the $1500 to $2000 range!

Does My Monitor Really Need A Screensaver?

Actually, no, you don’t need a screensaver on your computer. Does that surprise you? In reality, screensavers haven’t been a necessity for many years now! Advances in display technology and the advent of energy-saver monitors have virtually eliminated the need for screensavers. Then, why do we still use them?

Well here’s a couple of reasons why we still use screen savers, courtesy of How Stuff Works. http://www.howstuffworks.com/index.htm :

· Entertainment - The most common reason we use screensavers is for the fun of it. Watching that macaroni dance across the screen to the tune of "Hey Macarena" can be a great diversion for a few minutes.

· Security - By setting up a screensaver with password protection, you can walk away from your computer and feel comfortable that nobody is going to be able to see any sensitive information.

· Uniform look - Many companies require all employees to use a particular screensaver. This creates a uniform and perhaps aesthetic environment and ensures that no inappropriate screensavers are displayed.

· Advertisement - Companies, particularly retail businesses, that have computers in areas accessible to customers will often have a screensaver that promotes their business or product.

· Information - A lot of screensavers provide either static or real-time information. A screensaver may cycle through a series of trivia questions. Another may pull stock information from a Web site and stream it across the screen.

· Distributed computing - Another form of screensaver takes advantage of your computer's inactivity to process data from another source. A good example of this type of screensaver is SETI@Home, which is currently utilized by thousands of computer users. This screensaver displays a graph of the radio spectrum and processes radio-signal information received from the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) servers. It sends back results based on the data processed. By using the combined processing power of all of these computers, SETI is significantly reducing the amount of time it takes to sift through all the signals received from its radio telescopes. Go to SETI@Home to sign up! http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/

Written by Debbi Baird, Co Owner, PC For Seniors

Author of many technical articles in ‘plain English’ for the “Older Generation� and Trainer / Tutor / Consultant in the Palm Beach, Florida area. Go to http://www.pcforseniors.com to find more information on computers and The Internet in the “How Do I …� section of the web site! Also, check out our Hot Sites! Listing for links to great places to go online for Seniors!