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Virtual Screensavers
I’ve never been a big fan of screensavers, but on a virtual machine they seem to be a particularly bad idea. Virtual screens don’t need saving, they move and are thus distracting, and they waste CPU cycles.
Posted by windley on April 25, 2007 9:03 AM



Comment from Gordon Weakliem at April 25, 2007 9:25 AM
I'd never thought of that, but the same goes for RDP or other virtual terminal sessions as well. The server has to execute the useless screensaver just because it's configured. There is a case for a blank screensaver at least, in case you're logged into a sensitive machine, you should have the blank screen with password protection enabled, to make it more difficult for someone to resume your session.
Comment from Jesse Harris at April 25, 2007 11:09 AM
Screensavers stopped being relevant once monitors were smart enough to prevent burn-in. With modern power-saving features and improved designs, they just don't make sense except as a vanity item. I have to admit, I'm pretty fond of the Matrix screensaver that I use at home. At work, however, I just have the screen blank out.
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