What does a computer screen saver save it from?

Question

I hear about the screen saver, but I don't really know much about computers.

Answer 1

Older monitors and some newer monitors had image burn in if the image stayed on the screen for a certain length of time.  From then on you would see where this has happened when images were switched or the monitor is turned off.  Some monitors stay on all the time, like for business, which increased the chances of burn in.  The screen saver keeps changing the image or turns the whole screen black so it wouldn't happen.

Here is a video game consul where the image burned in.

http://www.madocowain.com/Arcade/Discs/m...

Answer 2

Wasting energy I s'pose.

Answer 3

It protects from CRT burn in. If you leave it on a background for a long period of time there will be a ghost burned into the screen. LCD are not affected

Answer 4

Back in the "olden" days, before Windows, and screen savers, monitors displayed DOS commands, which were green or orange on a black background.  After the monitor had been on for a long time, the image of the words were "burned" into the screen and formed a shadow which never went away.  Wierd, huh?  Anyway, the screen saver is constantly moving to prevent the image from burning onto one's monitor.

Answer 5

actually, older monitors used to get what called burn in. if the same thing was on a long time it would leave part of it on your screen. i don't think the newer ones do that anymore so they are more of a computer sleep mode now.

Answer 6

It gives you an option to add your own private pictures etc., Instead of the plain old Windows screen, which is pretty boring.

Answer 7

The screen saver was designed to prevent image 'burn in' in tube monitors.  A CRT (tube) monitor which is left on with the same screen showing for long periods of time tends to burn that pattern into the phophorescent coating on the inside of the tube--you'll see ghost images on older tube monitors which display the same screen.  Look at the screen on an ATM--you'll often see the image burned in.