New feature: pi-top [4] Miniscreen OLED Screensaver - feedback wanted!

pi-top Software pi-topSIRIUS
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#1

Hi everyone! :wave:

We have just created a new GitHub Release for our miniscreen’s system menu application pt-sys-oled that introduces an experimental new feature - a screensaver. :tada:

Why?

The pi-top [4]'s miniscreen display is an OLED display, which - over time - can suffer from burn-in (or permanent image retention), which is caused by uneven degradation of the pixels. To help prevent this, we have added a screensaver designed to (relatively speaking) evenly distribute the pixels that it uses.

How does it work?

Dimming now occurs after 20 seconds, and the screensaver will start when 1 minute has passed without change to the display. After this, however, the display remains in screensaver mode.

The screensaver is therefore likely to be activated by on the battery screen, where the display does not update often. Conversely, the CPU usage screen is always updating with CPU activity, and so the screensaver will not activate.

We want your feedback about how this change feels.

How do I get it?

This has not been released to our main software repository so that we can collect feedback.

To install it, open a terminal window in pi-topOS and run the following:

cd /tmp
wget https://github.com/pi-top/pt-sys-oled/releases/download/v4.2.0/pt-sys-oled_4.2.0_all.deb
sudo apt install -y ./pt-sys-oled_4.2.0_all.deb
rm ./pt-sys-oled_4.2.0_all.deb

Let us know what you think here or submit a pull request!

4 Likes
#2

Thank you. Yes, that is a welcomed addition. I like it. It reminds me of the old Windows 95/98 starfield screensaver (whoops, I think I may have just admitted how old I am!). LOL

3 Likes
#3

Looks nice, better than battery level 78%.
It reminds me more of Win 3.11 screen saver - lets not talk about being old, life is so unfair - didn’t have all these toys when I was younger.

So Many Projects; So little time!

1 Like
#4

@Korbendallaz You were just braver than me. :smiley:
I remember Win 3.11 and remember standing in line for a midnight launch of Windows 95. :wink:
Windows 3.11 also had “Mystify” which would be a fun one on the OLED. :open_mouth:

2 Likes
#5

@Tom-B @Korbendallaz

What do you think about the timeout? What about the fact that it’s 2 minutes of no change to display as opposed to 2 minutes of input activity (as you would get from Windows 98, etc!)?

1 Like
#6

I’d say that I like that it’s 2 minutes of no change to display instead of 2 minutes of input activity because that would seem to me better “screensaver” use because I’d want the screensaver going while I am, say, updating code in a Python file while saving files, etc., and if that input is keeping the screen saver from starting, it seems to me that is when I’d want that screensaver “on”.

I hope I’m understanding that correctly.

1 Like
#7

Thanks for answering first Tom! Wasn’t sure what he was referencing as well. But, I like the 2 minutes of no change and the responsiveness of the keys breaks the screensaver as well. Two minutes is good, but is it possible to set a different time up for the screensaver to start?

Generally, I don’t use any monitor connected directly to the Pi[4] I am using. I use VNC normally all the time (having a 24 inch & 27 inch Monitors on my PC makes it easier to see with my old-age eyes. So my attention is forward towards which ever monitor has the VNC display on; and the Pi-Top [4] is either behind or adjacent to me on the left. The only time I look at the Pi-Top [4] is to see the power meter.

1 Like
#8

Haha, I was 2 when you were doing that :stuck_out_tongue:

#9

I love it. I’m already starting to get a little battery burn in when I blank and invert my screen. This will be nice :slight_smile:

#10

I liked the OLED screen saver so much installed it on my DIY Pi-Top[4]!

2 Likes