# Do you remember Flying Toasters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2022, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989 "2022-03-13T20:55:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/21 "2022-03-14T07:42:06Z")
Does anyone else remember this screensaver from the late 90s which was basically a first person view of somebody going through a maze? It was legitimately the most entertaining thing I ever saw when I first saw it and would watch it for up to 10 minutes whenever I saw it. Reminded me of Doom. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/22 "2022-03-14T07:56:14Z")
I had a tiny program called Neko (I can’t find any reference to it now). It was not so much a screen saver as a gimmick. When installed, a small animated cat would nondestructively follow your cursor around the screen. When the cursor paused, the cat would sit, scratch, then take a nap. It was amusing for about 10 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/23 "2022-03-14T08:24:06Z")
Of course I remember Flying Toasters and much of the screensavers mentioned above, but for me the coolest was the one which created a gravitational lens effect on your screen. It was like a black hole wandering around your screen and distorting it. I think you could tweak some parameters to change the distortion effects. IIRC, this screen saver first came with Windows XP. ---
**Author:** ![cytop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@cytop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cytop)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/24 "2022-03-14T09:12:34Z")
Neko … > **[Neko (software)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neko_(software))** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Neko is a cross-platform open-source\[citation needed\] animated cursor-chasing cat screenmate application. > Neko (猫, ねこ) is the Japanese word for cat. > Neko was originally written for the NEC PC-9801. It was later ported as a desk accessory to the Macintosh in 1989 by Kenji Gotoh. He also designed the sleeping graphics for Neko. An X version was later made by Masayuki Koba. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/25 "2022-03-14T12:06:07Z")
We had one - I thought it was After Dark, but maybe not - that was a guy on a riding mower that ran over cats. It was disgusting and hilarious. I like cats, I don’t advocate violence against any animals, but that screen saver cracked me up - it was so out there! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/26 "2022-03-14T13:36:14Z")
My favorite screen saver was Pipes. You could make them textured. It drew more complicated designs when the computer was unattended for hours. [![](https://www.screensaversplanet.com/img/screenshots/screensavers/large/3d-pipes-1.png) ](https://www.screensaversplanet.com/img/screenshots/screensavers/large/3d-pipes-1.png) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/27 "2022-03-14T14:35:54Z")
Back in the day when screensavers were actually necessary, I pondered that one could write a virus to modify the screensavers, so that they wouldn’t actually work: You’d pick a few points on the screen, and design the screensaver in such a way that those few points would never actually be changed by what was happening with the screensaver. The virus would then pick out those few-points-at-a-time until eventually some recognizable pattern would be burnt into the screen. Nowadays the only reason to blank out the screen is to save power, which means blanking it out completely. That’s no fun any more. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/28 "2022-03-14T15:14:03Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > I had a tiny program called Neko Still available (updated version called _oneko_) in various Linux repositories or in source. > **[oneko-sakura](http://www.daidouji.com/oneko/)** ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/29 "2022-03-14T15:19:11Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > We had one - I thought it was After Dark, but maybe not - that was a guy on a riding mower that ran over cats. Mowin’ Boris, one of the official After Dark screensavers (in the _Totally Twisted_ package). A humorous hybrid of two other AD screensavers, Mowin’ Man (guy cuts grass on a riding mower) and Boris (cute kitten mewing, chasing butterflies, and doing other cute kitten things). ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/30 "2022-03-14T15:23:35Z")
I seem to remember having a Bloom County screensaver where Opus and Bill were fighting against flying toasters. Found the link: [Opus 'n Bill Bloom County Screensaver (1993) [04/16] 'Censored Toast' - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP26kghndkE) ---
**Author:** ![ArtBeforeScience](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@ArtBeforeScience](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArtBeforeScience)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/31 "2022-03-14T15:43:47Z")
I miss the flying toasters so much… I had replaced the toast with bagels on mine. Also must put in a word for the After Dark screensaver version of alien invaders. So adorable! Such cute screams when you died. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/32 "2022-03-14T15:53:37Z")
I liked the “Marquis” screensaver that was on Windows way back. It let you type messages which would then float around on the screen. I’d get on other people’s computers and type in things like “Hey! Who messed with my computer!” I did this to my sister’s PC and to several in the library at the school I taught at. Ah, good times. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/33 "2022-03-14T15:57:01Z")
I just asked a 22 year old woman, “Do you remember flying toasters?” She told me she’s never done anything harder than weed. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/34 "2022-03-14T18:42:41Z")
And Pipes could pop up a random teapot now and then. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/35 "2022-03-14T20:03:17Z")
My friends and I played a lot of Lunatic Fringe in the study hall computer lab. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/36 "2022-03-14T21:24:19Z")
Since it first appeared I’ve always preferred Windows own “Mystify” screensaver (“pipes” was pretty cool too), but since Win7 the options for customization were limited to almost none. So for about the past ten (?) years I’ve used “Euphoria” for an extremely versatile alternative. Once I determined my preferred configuration I’ve never changed it. And it’s free. For the record, I have no affiliation with Euphoria. I’m just a satisfied non-paying customer. From the software’s notes: …It uses OpenGL and requires OpenGL hardware acceleration for optimum performance. If you don’t have it, you’ll see a pitifully slow framerate. This saver is freeware, so there is no support available for it, but feel free to send comments and suggestions to me (Terry). Contact information is available on my website: [http://www.reallyslick.com](http://www.reallyslick.com) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989/37 "2022-03-14T21:45:24Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Does anyone else remember this screensaver from the late 90s which was basically a first person view of somebody going through a maze? That one came with Windows 95 and all later versions up until Windows stopped including them (and the concept was phased out). It’s just called 3D maze. Here’s an open source recreation in your browser: > **[GitHub - ibid-11962/Windows-95-3D-Maze-Screensaver: A WebGL/JS recreation of...](https://github.com/ibid-11962/Windows-95-3D-Maze-Screensaver)** > > A WebGL/JS recreation of the 3D Maze screensaver from Windows 95 - GitHub - ibid-11962/Windows-95-3D-Maze-Screensaver: A WebGL/JS recreation of the 3D Maze screensaver from Windows 95 As it says, [the project can be tested live here](https://ibid-11962.github.io/Windows-95-3D-Maze-Screensaver/). (I’d link actual screensaver files, but I was under the impression that Windows removed the ability for them to work out of the box.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remember-flying-toasters/960989.md?page=1)