How Windows Vista Works – Windows Vista Cool New Features & API’s – Part III – Windows DreamScene

Posted on March 12, 2007 at 2:37 pm

Make sure to read other posts from the Windows Vista Cool Features series!

How Windows Vista Works – Windows Vista Cool New Features & API’s – Part I – Restart Manager API
How Windows Vista Works – Windows Vista Cool New Features & API’s – Part II – You can run Vista in a Virtual PC on the same computer for free!
How Windows Vista Works – Windows Vista Cool New Features & API’s – Part III – Windows DreamScene
How Windows Vista Works – Windows Vista Cool New Features & API’s – Part IV – The new "Sleep" power state
How Windows Vista Works – Windows Vista Cool New Features & API’s – Part V – Windows Anytime Upgrade
How Windows Vista Works – Windows Vista Cool New Features & API’s – Part VI – Windows Meeting Space

Another feature that everyone has been dying for, but has not really come to fruition on most people’s computers because of various reasons is the ability to have a desktop that is animated rather than simply a static picture! There are applications that have been written that allow you to put animations on your desktop, but nothing really works that great and since it’s not built into Windows, the software usually has it’s quirks that make it hard to implement easily.

But Vista looks like they are going to answer the prayer finally! It’s called Windows DreamScene and it’s going to allow you to set your desktop background as not only a picture, but also a video! It can be a built-in video or you can even put in your own video! Though, constantly watching the same thing over and over might be disturbing to the mind, I’m sure people will come up with some very cool art videos with crazy graphics like lava flowing across your desktop screen or making your desktop in a ocean full with a shore and fish! Exciting stuff!

Of course in order for this to run, you’ll need a graphics card that can support the Aero interface and as of right now this feature only supports .mpeg and .wmv files.

There is also a preview version of it available off Microsoft’s website, but I haven’t downloaded or tried it, so if you’re really interested, give it a shot!

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929327

» Filed Under Windows Vista