Where Did Screensavers Come From?
| Pretty much all computer users are familiar with screensavers, but like the vast majority of modern technological advances, the screensaver is a relatively young computer feature, and one which had no application just a handful of decades ago. So where did the screensaver come from, and how did it evolve into the forms we know and use today?
The screensaver is an aptly named utility; its purpose is to extend the lifespan of computer monitors. Modern LCD displays still retain a portion of what their older CRT screen predecessors carried as their main problem: phosphor burn-in. When displaying a particular image for extended periods of time, the screens are susceptible to this marring transformation, wherein portions of the screen slowly change, eventually creating an outline (sometimes referred to as a "ghost") of the displayed image. Screensavers counteract this problem by completely darkening the screen after a given period of inactivity, or by causing a dynamic image to move across the display, preventing phosphor burn-in. Early, simplistic renderings of screensavers have gradually been replaced by exciting and beautiful designs, resulting in a modern-day abundance of options for keeping screens healthy and looking good while not in use. |