Author: Ron Rudeboc
Date: October 1993
Keywords: Screen Savor MIFP Development software utility saver review program art
Text: Several of you may be like me and have enjoyed the animations of "After Dark" and "More After Dark" but would like to occasionally have a great screen image to view or to show off your color system to your friends. Well "ScreenSavor" is the accessory for "After Dark" that you will enjoy. Instead of displaying the animated drawings of the "After Dark" modules "ScreenSavor" displays high quality photographic images from some very talented photographers. "ScreenSavor" is an add-on module, so you need to have "After Dark" to use it. The program also requires that you have 4 MB of ram, system 6.07 or higher, a computer system capable of displaying 8-bit color, and a hard drive. The program is only 80 K but the images are a little larger. The sample set that comes with the program is 728 K but when I added 2 additional image sets the file is now a little over 2 MBs. The installation was easy, the manual has 3 easy steps with the first being to make a back up copy of the application disks. Next copy the "ScreenSavor" program from the Application disk and the "Savory Goodies" from the Sampler disk into the "After Dark" files folder. Finally, restart the Macintosh and it is ready to set the "display effects" that control the way the images appear and disappear on the screen, the selection of images, and the time before the program is activated. The quality of the images is almost breathtaking and the variety of topics or images is varied with a strong theme toward nature. The sampler image set that comes with the program has 12 different images ranging from a puppy smelling a rose in a bud vase to the stealth fighter in flight. The images are copyrighted by the artist/photographer and the program does not allow you to do a screen "snapshot". Additional image sets are available from MIFP and a catalog is included showing 13 additional sets that are available for $39.95 each. The catalog mentions that new sets are added regularly and cover "subjects to suit nearly every taste". A color flyer that also came with the program has updated the lists to 16 different sets. I have enjoyed the images and have found at times that I am watching the images appear and disappear on the screen instead of doing the work that I should be doing. I have not had any conflicts with the program but the manual warns about programs that run in the background. The only negative thing I have noticed about the program is sometimes the work screen does not return instantly when you move the mouse, but it does return in a few seconds. I like the program and would recommend it to anyone who has a color system and would like to see some very nice images as a screen saver. The list price is $49.95 and the add on image sets are $39.95. "ScreenSavor" is available from: MIFP Development, 7276 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy., Suite 187, Portland, OR 97225 800-697-6437 (FAX 503-228-9707)
Copyright © October 1993 by Ron Rudeboc