Datasheet

68
PART I
■
INSTALLATION, CONFIGURATION, AND CUSTOMIZATION
The Windows XP screen saver has 11 built-in effects you can use. It will
also lock your desktop so that no one can access your computer — you must
log on again to clear the screen saver. You can access these settings on the
Screen Saver tab on the Display Properties dialog box. When you select a
screen saver and then click the Settings button, you can change things like
transitions, effects, colors, and other options depending on the specific saver
chosen (see Figure 3.7).
If you want a free screensaver rotation program, choose the My Pictures
Slideshow option from the drop-down list box. You can point it at any folder
with pictures or images and display them after a certain amount of desktop
inactivity.
(In)Active Desktop
When Windows 95 first shipped, someone had the bright idea of
creating the “Active Desktop.” The concept was to bring Internet con-
tent directly to the desktop so that users could have an ever-changing
stream of information that connected people with things that were
useful or helpful to them.
The concept didn’t work, in part because people wanted images
and information from multiple sources aggregated into a single loca-
tion, in part because other applications and services did a better job,
and in part because Active Desktop was inflexible. Web content could
be synchronized to the desktop only once per day, so other than con-
necting to “Picture of the Day” sites, Active Desktop was not useful for
pulling down news sites or frequently-changing information.
Despite these drawbacks Active Desktop is still lurking in the back-
ground and you must have it enabled in order to use themes or to view
the new Windows XP interface. If you want to explore its settings, open
the Display Properties dialog box, click the Desktop tab, click
Customize Desktop, and then click the Web tab.
Watch Out!
Sometimes the nastiest things are contained in the most innocent-looking
packages. Screen saver programs are notorious for containing adware, spyware,
and viruses. Before downloading one, do a search to see if it’s been reported
as a malicious program. Also, scan the program with antivirus software before clicking
“setup.”
07_763209 ch03.qxp 1/3/06 5:50 PM Page 68