A wallpaper or background (also known as a screensaver, desktop background, desktop picture or desktop image on computers) is a digital image (photo, drawing etc.) used as a decorative background of a graphical user interface on the screen of a computer, smartphone or other electronic device. On a computer, wallpapers are generally used on the desktop, while on a mobile phone they serve as the background for the home screen. Though most devices come with a default background image, modern devices usually allow users to manually change the background image.
The term "wallpaper" was used in Microsoft Windows before Windows XP (where it is called the "desktop background"), while macOS refers to it as "desktop picture". On older systems which allowed small repeated patterns to be set as background images, the term desktop pattern was used.
History
The X Window System was one of the earliest systems to include support for an arbitrary image as wallpaper via the xsetroot program, which at least as early as the X10R3 release in 1985 could tile the screen with any solid color or any binary-image X BitMap file. In 1989, a free software program called xgifroot was released that allowed an arbitrary color GIF image to be used as wallpaper, and in the same year the free xloadimage program was released which could display a variety of image formats (including color images in Sun Rasterfile format) as the desktop background. Subsequently, a number of programs were released that added wallpaper support for additional image formats and other features, such as the xpmroot program (released in 1993 as part of fvwm) and the xv software (released in 1994).
The original Macintosh operating system only allowed a selection of 8×8-pixel binary-image tiled patterns; the ability to use small color patterns was added in System 5 in 1987.[1] Mac OS 8 in 1997 was the first Macintosh version to include built-in support for using arbitrary images as desktop pictures, rather than small repeating patterns.[2]
Windows 3.0 in 1990 was the first version of Microsoft Windows to come with support for wallpaper customization, and used the term "wallpaper" for this feature.[3] Although Windows 3.0 only came with 7 small patterns (2 black-and-white and 5 16-color), the user could supply other images in the BMP file format with up to 8-bit color (although the system was theoretically capable of handling 24-bit color images, it did so by dithering them to an 8-bit palette)[4] to provide similar wallpaper features otherwise lacking in those systems. A wallpaper feature was added in a beta release of OS/2 2.0 in 1991.[5]
Due to the widespread use of personal computers, some wallpapers have become immensely recognizable and gained iconic cultural status. Bliss, the default wallpaper of Microsoft Windows XP has become the most viewed photograph of the 2000s.[6]
Animated backgrounds
Animated backgrounds (sometimes referred to as live backgrounds or dynamic backgrounds) refers to wallpapers which feature a moving image or a 2D / 3D scene as an operating system background rather than a static image, it may also refer to wallpapers being cycled in a playlist, often with certain transition effects. Some operating systems, such as Android, provide native support for animated wallpapers.
Microsoft
Windows
Modern Windows systems can be configured to cycle through pictures from a folder at regular intervals. Windows does not natively support animated backgrounds, however, third-party software can be installed to have full support for placing animated images, video files, 2D or 3D scenes, and web pages as wallpapers. Similar functionality could be found in the Active Desktop feature of Windows 98 and later versions.
Android
Free download of Cool Wallpaper in HD quality. and shocking Cool Wallpaper that will add character to your device. Cool iPhone wallpaper that will keep you entranced for hours. Download Cool Photos For Wallpaper that are ideally suited for your device. Shocking cool Backgrounds that will make your gadget look amazing. Cool anime Wallpaper that is free and simple to download. Remarkable and lovely Wallpaper that will change your device. Download Cool Wallpaper that is ideally suited for your style Astonishing Cool iPhone wallpaper will make your gadget stand apart from the rest. Cool anime backdrops that are free and simple to Download Read More
iOS
Dynamically animated backgrounds have also been introduced in iOS 7 and later versions, however they are restricted to the ones provided by Apple. Jailbroken iOS devices can download other dynamic backgrounds.
Linux / Unix
Linux distributions usually provides their own original backgrounds as well. For example, Debian put many alternative backgrounds under its system's /usr/share/backgrounds directory.
GNOME
GNOME 2 also can be set to cycle through pictures from a folder at regular intervals, similarly to Windows 7.
MATE
MATE also provides various wallpapers, usually in system's /usr/share/backgrounds/mate directory.
KDE
KDE version 4 and later provide various dynamic wallpapers, including a slideshow, and other options provided by plugins, such as fractals and Earth map.
Enlightenment
Enlightenment v17 supports image sequences, animated and interactive desktop backgrounds in its default configuration.
See also
References
- ^ Robert R. Wiggins, "All systems go. (Software Review) (System Tools 5.0 with MultiFinder.)", MacUser (1 March 1988)
- ^ Franklin N. Tessler, "Mac OS 8 arrives," Macworld (1 September 1997)
- ^ Gus Venditto, "Windows 3.0 brings icons, multitasking, and ends DOS's 640k program limit," PC Magazine (1 July 1990)
- ^ Charles Petzold, "Working with 24-bit color bitmaps for Windows," PC Magazine (10 September 1991)
- ^ Wendy Goldman, "New version may tiop scales in IBM's favor over DOS, Windows: A look at OS/2 2.0," Computer Reseller News (24 June 1991)
- ^ Sweeney, Cynthia (March 26, 2014). "Say goodbye to 'Bliss'". St. Helena Star. Retrieved May 19, 2014.