Some time ago, the core purpose of screensavers was to keep old CRT monitors healthy, but since is no longer the case, functionality moved to different areas, such as presentations, or pretty displays. For instance, Earth 3D Space Screensaver can take you on a journey through space every time you don’t really feel like using the PC for anything else.

The setup process doesn’t really take much of your time or effort, and is over before you realize. The default screensaver configuration window shows up immediately after setup ends, so you can take the application for a spin. It’s automatically set as your default option, but this can easily be changed.

In case you want to have the computer locked on exit, you can use the default option, which is provided by Windows and can be applied to any other screensaver. Needless to say that you can also set the time it takes before the screensaver kicks in.

It’s advisable to check whether your computer is running the latest DirectX, especially if you’re using the screensaver on older machines, just to prevent any performance issues. On the other hand, there are some dedicated option the application comes with, some of which are related to performance tweaks.

Bringing up the settings panel lets you set behavior and performance. Hardware acceleration can be used, bump-mapping, as well as fullscreen antialiasing for the best visuals, but at the cost of some system resources. Moreover, the application can be set to use a different resolution than the default.

As far as aesthetics go, there’s the possibility to use high detailed models, show pictures and text whenever reaching a planet, and whether or not to observe satellites. A built-in audio layer makes sure the experience is complete. Additionally, you can enable a 12 or 24 hour format clock during runtime.

To sum it up, Earth 3D Space Screensaver is sure to provide a neat experience every now and then, and is sure to be a pleasant view for large displays and Kiosk computers. Setup is quick and easy, while the set of options let you create a balance between performance and visuals.