Using Your "Desktop"

[PityOnU]

Customizing you desktop was like a huge thing 5 or 6 years ago, but you don't see much about it nowadays.

Does everyone here actually use their desktop? You know, it's that thing with the wallpaper that for anyone older than 45 is cluttered with icons.

My desktop has always been perfectly clean with just the recycle bin showing. As it stands, I literally do not see my desktop for months at a time, because I work in maximized windows. The only time I do see it is when I connect to a projector for whatever reason and it defaults to being a second screen.

 

[YayMii]

I'm on Windows 8, so I keep all my icons on the Start screen. I never have anything on my desktop other than the Recycle Bin, other than when I temporarily place files there for quick transfer.

 

[Sicklyboy]

Quite often. Aside from a bunch of files that I really need to sort, I still put all of my application shortcuts there (heavily used ones - Steam, foobar2000, Plex Media Center, Chrome, Pandora, and Skype - go in the taskbar) and save most of my documents to my desktop.

 

[Flame]

http://gbatemp.net/threads/post-a-picture-of-your-desktop.56484/

we have a thread where you can see the type of desktop people have here. people still do that.

but its kinda pointless because imo, its just slows the system down. its nice chnaging the icons, theme and wallpaper. but adding widgets and stuff like that just slows down the system.

 

[PityOnU]

Quite often. Aside from a bunch of files that I really need to sort, I still put all of my application shortcuts there (heavily used ones - Steam, foobar2000, Plex Media Center, Chrome, Pandora, and Skype - go in the taskbar) and save most of my documents to my desktop.

Out of curiosity, why do you do this? Wouldn't it be much faster just to hit the Windows key and then search for the applications you use? And doesn't Windows 8 have a dedicated "Documents" and "Download" folders? Why make it so you have to minimize everything to get at your shortcuts every time you need them?

 

[Sicklyboy]

I'm not entirely crazy about the Start Screen. Don't get me wrong, I'm not on the whole "Win8 Hate" train that everyone else is - I quite like the OS, save for a few quirks that don't bother me too much, but the Start Screen just isn't my cup of tea. I have Classic Start installed that gives me a Win7-like Start Menu, and having everything itemized on the desktop is quicker for me - same reason why on my phone I have my most commonly used apps on my home screen, maybe 5 apps, rather than digging through my app drawer for them.

My download folder is horrendously filled. That really needs to be sorted, and soon.

And as far as the Documents folder, I only use that for archival purposes, and on a separate drive (a RAID 1 setup I have). Everything I put in there is typically never used again, and could even be safely deleted at this point. For stuff I'm using -now- though I keep it on my desktop so I don't have to go digging for it. I've never really bothered with the whole setup of the "Documents" and "Pictures" folders, at least at their default locations, and CBA to change it to direct to where I keep my stuff, because then Windows gets involved when I least expect it and puts things where I don't want it to.

My desktop is my "quick access" area, and my taskbar is "quicker".

Edit - files like that "project" and "tv download drive" on my right monitor, yeah those are old and can be deleted. Other shit needs to just be sorted into its appropriate folders on other drives.

 

[Rydian]

It has some icons for programs I run regularly, and it's my temporary download location. Also some to-do text files.

 

[tj_cool]

I just have 1 "WORKING" folder on it, which I fill and empty with whatever I'm working on and need quick access to.
For the rest it is entirely empty (No Trash can either since I'm on Ubuntu)

I keep my downloads folder and trash can as empty as possible as well.

 

[DinohScene]

I just like to have a neat looking desktop with a nice wallpaper.
I use LCARS <3

 

[emmanu888]

Meh. I use the slideshow thingy on Windows 7 for my wallpapers

 

[The Catboy]

I use Linux and I am always messing around with my desktop. In fact I have several desktop environments installed that I am always working on. Seriously follow some of my posts in the Post your desktop thread if you are interested in seeing them.

 

[ars25]

my desktop was filled to the brim with applications then i used fences to sort it out

 

[Minox]

I sometimes dump things there for quick access, but otherwise it's completely empty.

 

[FAST6191]

Windows wise... actually it has a lot and I tend to allow it as that is where things eventually default to when I press the up directory button enough times or if it fails to get a directory (up on a search or something) so I leave it to allow it to be useful in that case. Otherwise powering the PC launches sabnzbd which launches a browser, add email, IRC and skype and consider that I have most of the programs and directories I use a lot on the start bar and yeah I tend not to see it unless I get everything minimised.

Linux and BSD -- depends upon the window manager really. Most of my linux machines I tend to use a bit lighter than windows ones (15 tabs rather than 150) and I do find the desktop a useful concept there.

 

[RedCoreZero]

my desktop was filled to the brim with applications then i used fences to sort it out

dat reposts

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

Not a lot of icons.... mostly folders with icons in them.

I have too many tasks that I have to perform on a day to day basis to have direct icons on my desk for anything. I would need a third monitor just to hold all the icons and I am sure that they would spill into my other monitors lol

The start menu is only useful to me for the search function (Thank you Vista/Windows 7) trying to navigate that mess would slow me up too much.

 

[Deleted-236924]

I hide the desktop icons, and with Windows 8 I took the habit of just hitting Windows + E to access my files.
It's actually quicker than clicking the start button then clicking My Computer (Which is what I did in Windows 7)

 

[trumpet-205]

This is my desktop,

I use VirtualBox + Linux for web browsing. I opt for PortableApps on a flashdrive whenever possible. I keep my Windows 7 as close to fresh condition as possible.

 

[LockeCole_101629]

current desktop with win7

this is when I'm still using winxp
http://i.imgur.com/2cAaB.jpg

Desktop is irrelevant nowdays
since most of time you will spend your time with certain application (browser/game/etc) and not staring your desktop all day long.
However it doesn't mean what windows 8 do will do better than "old" style desktop.