Software Library: Screensavers

Were you looking for an emulated collection of promotional material for now-defunct media properties that sully the good name of screen savers? Internet Archive has you covered!

"Screensavers continued to be made and sold long after the issue was a problem, because they were enjoyable to look at."

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10 Responses:

  1. Cayce says:

    🤞🏽XScreenSavers to be archived for posterity in spite of careful maintenance and releases.

  2. Zygo says:

    I see the failure to aggressively monetize every square millimeter of idle screen space as a failure of both the entertainment industry (both the devices and content branches) and our adtech system. My TV should be paying me per ad instead of displaying that silly spinning vendor logo when there's no video input.

    • Carlos says:

      "smart" TVs these days have some kind of app ecosystem, don't they? My TV is "dumb" so I haven't seen it.

      But your comment immediately made me think "xscreensaver for the living room". I don't know if TVs let you install any old Android app or if you have to be in the right "store" to be installable, but it would be great.

      Of course, just knowing capitalism's curve towards dystopia, I can bet someone has to get paid before your app can run on a TV.

      C.

      • Zygo says:

        > "smart" TVs these days have some kind of app ecosystem, don't they?

        They do, but so far I haven't figured out how to get paid for watching someone else's screensaver.

      • jwz says:

        There is an "Apple TV / tvOS" target in the XScreenSaver 6.02 Xcode project but I couldn't make it launch so I gave up. If someone else wants to take a crack at it, go for it.

    • Phil says:

      Pointcast on line 2, and would like a word.

  3. Gordo says:

    I have memories of "The Adventures of Johnny Castaway" screen saver. He would do trivial things on his island to stay alive, was like watching a low rent Survivor.

    I recall there were special events and animations for holidays etc, with some of the Sierra humour.

    • Billy says:

      Johnny Castaway was good fun, but he was no Blind Melon.

      • Gordo says:

        Who can compete with the audio effects of the Blind Melon screen saver?

        The Beavis And Butthead screen saver, on the other hand, just induces seizures. Which seems appropriate.

  4. Jeff Allen says:

    Where are the flying toasters? I was promised flying toasters.

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