What is the Desktop?

The Desktop appears after you have turned on the computer and it finishes booting up. Think of the desktop as your virtual desktop in your home or office; you work with folders and files or documents upon the desktop. You use the mouse and keyboard to enter commands.

PC - Windows Computer (see below) ................. Macintosh Computer

The following is a graphic of a Desktop. Below the picture each main element is described.

• The Start button - The Start button is positioned on the Task Bar and located in the bottom left-hand corner of the desktop. You can use the Start button to open documents and load applications. You can access 99% of the functionality that a new user needs right from this button. The Start button is always visible, even when you are working in an application.
• Task Bar - Helps you manage open windows and access your printing balance. As you open additional applications, new buttons representing each application will appear to the right of the Start button. To switch between applications, you simply click the desired button once on the Task Bar. To check your print balance double click the $ on the lower right in the Task Bar
• My Computer- a Desktop icon that enables you to easily see what's in the computer. My Computer make extensive use of icons, which are pictures or symbols, to represent everything in your computer system from hardware devices to file folders. You open this icon by double-clicking it with the mouse. To see the contents of your floppy disk you would open (double-click) My Computer and double click (open) the floppy disk.
• One active window- the active window displays the application being currently used by the user. You can identify the active window by the blue title bar or by the corresponding button on the Task Bar that looks as if it is pressed in.
• One or more inactive windows-the inactive windows display applications that are running but are not being used by the user. You can identify them by the gray title bar and by the corresponding button on the Task Bar
• Icons-these small pictures represent programs and other Windows elements. Some are created by default and are present when you boot the computer, such as My Computer and Recycling Bin. Others can be created by you or by applications that are installed. One Desktop icon that is very important is the Shortcut to Home Folder. This is your access to your own personal space on the server.
  

Windows vs. windows