It's finally here! Download Mac or PC below.
The PC Version has been updated to correct the lack of a mute button and both versions have been updated to correct problems with the clock function.

Well, my plan to have this done before the actual, real year 2001 went really, really far wrong, but considering how most of us all spent the last months of the real year 2001 I suppose it's par for the course... I've updated the Flash file that appears above so you can preview the new screensaver. I would have liked to have added some more screens to it, but there just was never enough time.

I've gotten a lot of questions about the screensaver to the point where I guess I'm going to have to breakdown and write a FAQ page, but to address a few, yes it appears that the PC version will work with Microsoft's latest operating system Windows XP. I'm trying to figure out how to get the screensaver to work for Mac OS X just as soon as I get the current Mac Classic and Windows version nailed down. I haven't even gotten on board the OS X bandwagon myself yet I'm ashamed to say, but soon, soon...

Also for those of you blessed enough to have a snazzy TiBook or Apple Cinema Display, the new screensaver should work full screen without some bits missing on the edges. Sorry about that guys, but when I started all monitors were roughly 4:3 ratio.

I'm not exactly sure of the date I'll be posting the new 1.0 version of the screensaver, but it shouldn't be long now. Watch this space. I promise it's very soon.

This is the latest build of the screen saver, working towards the final 1.0 status for the screen saver itself. Over the course of the year 2001 I just didn't have much time at all to work on the screen saver.

New in this version are the addition of some additional screens gleamed from the Clavius ones. One of the things you can pay attention to in the film is that there are screens on the Aries and Orion shuttles as well as on Clavius that are identical to some seen on USS Discovery. Thanks to Dennis Gonzales who continually keeps ferreting out screen shots and examples for me to work from.

Also new in this will be an option to have date and time visible as a "part" of HAL screen data. I plan to make this an either/or sort of option because basically due to the limitations of Screentime for Flash to make the screen saver such things have to be directly embedded into the animation. So you'll have the option to download either a version with or without the date/time function, but as before there's only the standard time of inactivity till activation and mute sound options actually available in each version of the screen saver

The most common question I'm asked about is can a screen saver have some user interactivity? Well, I suppose it could, but then it wouldn't really be a screen saver would it? I think a lot of people look forward to the day that their computer can actually BE a HAL, but even with Flash animation, I'm afraid such interactivity will be a thinly veiled illusion...

For Those of you who must have a little interactivity, there's always the HAL Console. Just don't mess with HAL's power switch! You have been warned!

Hope you like this preview and I'll be trying to get it finished just as soon as possible...

What was New over the course of work done in the actual year 2001?