Ever since the advent of the Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh operating systems, there has been a need to "save" the screen from the effects of magnetic "burn in." This could render a display nearly useless by freezing an image in place permanently. Although all that was necessary is to slightly alter the screen's contents or black it entirely to prevent this catastrophic damage, it quickly became apparent that these screen savers could be highly entertaining as well. One of the most popular screen savers quickly became the "starfield." This is an animating pattern of points of light that emit from the center of the screen and fly toward the edges of the display. On Windows computers, this screen saver was known as "Mystify Your Mind." On Macintosh computers using the After Dark screen saver suite, it was known as "Warp," referencing the special effect often seen in science fiction films and television shows.

CRT displays, also known as "that giant box," have been mostly replaced by LCDs, also known as "flat screens." These screens are not vulnerable to the "burn in" phenomenon. This means that an image can remain on the screen for extremely long periods of time without damage. The only exception is with Plasma displays. These very expensive units provide rich color and vibrancy but are very easy to accidentally damage. Even though most screens cannot suffer from "burn in," the starfield effect has never fully lost its popularity.

This simple package, which is compatible with most versions of the Windows operating system, imitates the old-fashioned screen savers from years ago. Rather than blanking out the display when the computer is not in use, this effect is displayed behind the user's desktop icons and windows. This means that it can provide constant background entertainment and keep the user's eyes from getting tired.