Submission details
Switch to power saving modes happen without warning
When running on battery power, the screen will abruptly turn off to conserve battery power. This is extremely annoying if you are trying to read something on the screen, especially if what you are reading is hard to understand, in which case the, the sudden switch to a black will completely disrupt your though process.
This problem also exist when a screen saver starts, or when the computer enters sleep, or any other low-power state, due to a period of inactivity.
Fade to black and then turn off the screen backlight.
When user activity is detected, turn on backlight and quickly fade back in.
This ensures a smooth transition and gives the user a chance to prevent the screen from turning off, without having to look away from what is on the screen.
Consider making the fade non-linear, so that it begins slowly, then speeds up.
Also fade to black before entering sleep, or any other low-power state, due to inactivity.
Screen savers should fade in on top of the desktop.
High
High
Not fixed
Discussion (2 comments)
The fadeout/fadein idea is great. Maybe it would be even better if Vista would also present a bitmap in lower right corner of the screen which would signalize "going to standby" before the fadeout starts (and be visible during fadeout).
xiphi wrote on June 11, 2008, 3:15am
Change your power settings. Problem solved.