CNET Editors' review
Electric Sheep is a free screensaver that lets your computer join a global network of computers processing "electric sheep"--striking, ever-changing, abstract fractal animations generated with a genetic algorithm (taking their name from the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick).
Your computer downloads and displays sheep from the current "flock" as your screensaver, while running in the background, your CPU contributes to the parallel computation and mutation of new sheep, joining thousands of other computers around the world. You can also vote on sheep with your up and down arrow keys to help guide how new flocks evolve. Electric Sheep now also has better compatibility with Snow Leopard, including support for multiple monitors--and you can set them up to render different sheep or the same sheep.
Electric Sheep works best with a broadband connection, and casual users might be frustrated by the app's setup, since it can take a long time to download the initial flock. (More sophisticated users can kick-start the process by manually downloading the current flock with BitTorrent--which unfortunately isn't integrated into the Mac client for Electric Sheep.)
Publisher's Description
From ElectricSheep.org:
Electric Sheep is a free, open source screen saver run by thousands of people all over the world. It can be installed on any ordinary PC or Mac. When these computers "sleep", the screen saver comes on and the computers communicate with each other by the internet to share the work of creating morphing abstract animations known as "sheep". The result is a collective "android dream", an homage to Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.
Anyone watching one of these computers may vote for their favorite animations using the keyboard. The more popular sheep live longer and reproduce according to a genetic algorithm with mutation and cross-over. Hence the flock evolves to please its global audience. You can also design your own sheep and submit them to the gene pool.
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All versions:
4.5 starsout of 4 votes
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Results 1-4 of 4
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"very enjoyable"
Version: Electric Sheep 2.7b21
Pros
very cool, something a bit different. I like that it keeps evolving.
Cons
A little hard to get started, first sheep took forever to download.
Summary
I'm glad they ported it for Snow Leopard. SN killed so many screen savers. I hope it keeps working when everything is 64 bit. Haven't figured out yet how to keep he sheep I like and dump the ones I don't.
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"Great screen saver, 5 stars, 5 thumbs up, beautiful art"
Version: Electric Sheep 2.7b15a
Pros
the best screen saver for the visual pleasure ! please keep it free ! keep on the good work !
Cons
no cons ! no negative feedback !
Summary
easy to download ! easy to install , you can create personal account online on theire web site for to be notified when there are product updates.
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"great free screensaver, visually stunning"
Version: Electric Sheep 2.6.9
Pros
free, constantly changing
Cons
needs to be able to do hi def
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"Slightly bizzare but incredibly imaginative."
Version: Electric Sheep 2.6.7
Pros
the way that the "sheep" are portrayed
Cons
it took a while but for it to download the first sheep but i got there eventually
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