Screen Savers

Question

A simple question, Ken. I get pros and cons on using a screen saver. I have been told that the new monitors (bought mine in 1998) do not BURN IN images if you do not use a screen saver, and that screen savers cause the computer to work slower. If that is correct, I would just as soon go to NONE for a screen saver, but I want to be sure that it is OK to do so. I faithfully read your column, and get your newsletter and I keep both in a secial file for reference.I checked questions on file on the Internet but did not find this one addressed.

Thanking you in advance,

Beverly Bruce

Answer

This question was answered on October 10, 2000. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

A screen saver is an animated image that is activated on a personal computer display when no user activity has been sensed for a certain time. The original purpose of a screen saver was to prevent burn-in (the burning of an image into the phosphor inside the cathode ray tube after hours of the same image being rescanned). In fact, today's CRT display technology makes burn-in unlikely except under extreme conditions. (On larger displays used for room presentations, burn-in is still a possibility.) Many people get screen savers so that something interesting is on the screen when they come back from a coffee break.

Author

Posted by Jacqueline of Chandler-Gilbert Community College on October 10, 2000