Last Where on the Web Respond to this column

WHERE ON THE WEB

Jazz up your screen

Call it a sign of the times or a national conspiracy to procrastinate. Whatever it is, the personalization of personal computers is spreading rapidly, and if you haven't already spruced up your desktop with a background and a screensaver that just scream "you," boot yourself up and do it.

Web sites like Screensavers.com make it free and easy. For Windows only, the site offers "wallpapers" (what you see while you're active at your desktop) and "screensavers" (images the screen reverts to when you're idle) from major genres -- animals, celebrities, music and so on -- so you can easily refurbish the drab, outmoded screen you space out on now.

On the homepage, select a category from across the top bar. Additional screens guide you through subcategories. To pick an image, click it, then click the "download" button and follow the instructions.

The most popular screensavers, like the mesmerizing Matrix code -- an exact replica of the hurtling digits that begin the movie trilogy -- are showcased lower on the main page.

Absolutely.net also offers screensavers and wallpaper (again, for Windows only), but they're packaged into juicier subcategories such as "Comic Book Art" and "Anime."

Often, you can get wallpaper directly from the Web site of a sports team or other interest. For example, NBA.com links fans to team sites, where a "wallpaper" link is either visible on the homepage or listed under categories like "Interactive" or "Multimedia."

With lots of user-friendliness and no fees, these "saver" sites live up to their name.

-- David Andrukonis