A screensaver (or screen saver) is a computer program that blanks the display screen or fills it with moving images or patterns when the computer has been idle for a designated time. The original purpose of screensavers was to prevent phosphor burn-in on CRT or plasma computer monitors (hence the name).[1] Though most modern monitors are not susceptible to this issue (with the notable exception of OLED technology, which has individual pixels vulnerable to burnout), screensaver programs are still used for other purposes. Screensavers are often set up to offer a basic layer of security by requiring a password to re-access the device. Some screensaver programs also use otherwise-idle computer resources to do useful work, such as processing for volunteer computing projects.[2]
As well as computers, modern television operating systems, media players, and other digital entertainment systems may include optional screensavers.
- ^ "Screensaver (Inventor of) by Robert Heinlein from Stranger in a Strange Land". Technovelgy.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015.
- ^ Einstein@Home Screensaver | Multi-Directional 2.07, 21 September 2020, archived from the original on 2022-09-03, retrieved 2022-09-18 – via YouTube