After Dark 4.0

After Dark 4.0 is the 1996 release of Berkeley Systems' iconic screensaver suite for the classic Mac OS, packaging dozens of animated modules into a single Control Panel. Building on the legacy of Flying Toasters, it added new scenes such as Starry Skyline, Bad Dog, and Art Critic.

Berkeley Systems Heritage

Berkeley Systems pioneered the consumer screensaver category on the Mac, and version 4.0 represents the mature, late-era polish of the line before the brand was sold and the desktop screensaver market faded.

Modules and Scenes

The suite shipped with a wide library of animated modules, from quiet ambient scenes to comedic vignettes parodying art and pop culture. Users could mix favorites and adjust per-module timing.

System Integration

After Dark installed as a Control Panel, idle-detecting through the standard Mac toolbox and dimming the display with smooth fades between modules. Hot corners let users instantly trigger or suppress activation.

Sibling Releases

This entry sits alongside earlier Berkeley Systems releases preserved in the archive (nid 369701, 369702), tracing the evolution of After Dark across the System 7 and Mac OS 8 era.