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Introduction to Desktop

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28 views4 pages

Introduction to Desktop

Uploaded by

martinsniigabriel
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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5

Introduction to Desktop
Desktop
The desktop is the on-screen work area where you can access everything you need to operate
your computer. It is the large background area of the screen after booting the computer. It is also
the monitor’s Graphical User Interface that appears after booting a computer.
Desktop You can customize the desktop by adding 'shortcuts' of your favorite programs,
documents, folders and files. You can also change the look of the desktop to fit your mood and
personality. The desktop is one of the elements (features) of the Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Graphical User Interface (GUI)


Graphical User Interface is an interface that allows a computer user to communicate with the
computer using graphics (such as icons, menus, dialog boxes and windows) and which are
manipulated by pointing devices (such as mouse, Touchpad, stylus, light pen, etc. and often to a
limited extent by a keyboard as well).
NB: Menu is a list of options from which a user can select an action to perform a desired action.
GUI, makes computers easier to operate by using pictures and icons to represent files and
programs. GUI interface consists of the following elements or features: dialog box, icons, menu,
window, tabs, cursor, etc. GUI stands in sharp contrast to Command Line Interface (CLI) that
existed before it.

Command Line Interface (CLI)


Command Line Interface is interface that enables a computer user and the computer to
communicate using text and is manipulated solely by a keyboard. Operating System that uses the
CLI is the Disk Operating System (DOS) and the most familiar example of a CLI is Microsoft Disc
Operating Software (MS-DOS).
The first windows OS to use GUI was Windows 95. Since then, Windows OS such as Windows
2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 (or 8.1), Windows 10 and above use
GUI.

Features (elements) of the Desktop


• The Icons
• Taskbar
• The Free Space Icons
➢ Icon is a small picture button on the desktop that represents programs, applications, folders,
documents, etc. By default, Windows OS displays Recycle Bin, My Computer, My Documents
and Internet Explorer.
➢ Recycle Bin: Recycle Bin is a temporary storage for files that have been deleted in a file
manager by the user, but not yet permanently erased from the file system. It is a location
where deleted files are stored.
➢ The Recycling Bin also allows users to recover files that have been deleted in Windows.
➢ My computer: My Computer is an icon on the desktop of a computer that allows you to
access, explore and manage the contents of your computer's local drives, USB disks, CD/DVD
drives and other files.
My Computer Icons
The picture above shows examples of the My Computer icon in Microsoft Windows XP, Windows
7 and Windows Vista, as well as the "This PC" icon in Windows 8, 10 and above. Although the
name has changed from "My Computer" to "This PC", the icon still has the same functionality.
My Documents: My Documents is a Microsoft Windows folders that store computer documents
and other files associated with programs on your computer. For example, when saving a file in
Microsoft
Word, the default folder is My Documents. Saving all of your personal files into the My
Documents folder makes them easier to backup and locate.
Internet Explorer (IE): Internet Explorer is one of the first graphical- based web browsers that are
used
to surf the internet. Initially called Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE), Internet Explorer (IE) has
long held the title of most popular browser in use, despite strong competition from the likes of
Mozilla Firefox, Apple's Safari, Opera and Google Chrome.
My Network Places: You can double-click the My Network Places icon to browse through the on
the network. If you’re connected to the Internet, the My Network Places icon will appear on your
desktop, since the Internet is actually a network too.

Other icons that may appear on the desktop are shortcuts of programs, files and folders.
Shortcut Icons: Shortcut Icons are icons on your desktop that represent (are links to) folders, files
and programs and with little arrows in the left corner. Shortcuts are normally added (created) on
the desktop by users for easy access to files, folders and programs.

Creating a shortcut of an application on the desktop


1. Click on Start Button.
2. Select All Programs.
3. Locate the application (e.g. Point to accessories and select WordPad).
4. Right click on the application (e.g. WordPad).
5. Move mouse pointer to Send To on the command menu and
6. Click on Desktop (create shortcut).

Creating a shortcut of a folder or file on the desktop


1. Locate the folder or file.
2. Right click on the folder or file.
3. Move mouse pointer to Send To on the command menu and
4. Click on Desktop (create shortcut).

Program Icons: Program icons are icons placed on the desktop by application software installed
on the computer. They are used to open or launch the installed application software.
File Icon: File is a data stored electronically by a computer as a document, worksheet or program.
This stored data when displayed on the desktop is represented by an icon called file icon. File
icon is used to access the electronically stored data.
Folder Icon: Folder is a container in which files and other folders are kept. Folder icon is icon
which contains group of files, documents and/or programs.The folder icon is used to access the
files and other folders in the folder. A folder is represented by a yellow icon.

The taskbar is a long horizontal bar that usually appears at the bottom of the screen. The taskbar
contains
(from left to right):
• Start Button
• Quick Launch Toolbar
• Launched Programs Area
• Notification Area
• Clock (Time)

Parts of a Taskbar
❖ Start Button: The Start button is on left-hand side of the taskbar that allows you to open
menus, view all installed programs and start applications. You can also use the start button to
find files and programs. When you click the Start Button, a menu called Start Menu will
appear. The Start menu is your gateway to the applications on your computer. The Start
Menu is a user interface element that provides a central launching point for computer
programs and performing other tasks. The left side of the Start menu lists programs, while
the right side allows access to common Windows folders (My Documents, for example). It
also provides access to Help and Support, Search, and Run.

To explore the Start Menu:


1. Click the Start Button.
2. Move the mouse pointer to each option and view the various cascading menus.
3. Click (or roll your mouse pointer over) All Programs.
4. Move the mouse pointer to the right and view other cascading menus.
5. To exit the menus, click outside the menu area or press Esc Key on your keyboard.
Quick Launch Toolbar: Is a bar which contains icons for Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player,
etc.

❖ Launched Programs Area: Is an area on the taskbar that displays the icons of all windows and
applications that have been launched and are currently running. It allows you to easily switch
between open windows and applications.

❖ Notification Area: Notification Area is the area on the right-hand side of the taskbar that
contains several icons, depending on programs and applications that have been installed.
Other icons appear in the Notification Area detailing the status of your activity. For example,
when you're printing a document, a printer icon appears. Microsoft also uses the Notification
Area to remind you when software updates are available for download.
❖ Clock: The clock displays the time on the computer. It is located at the extreme right-hand
corner of the taskbar, near the Notification Area.
❖ Free space is the space on the desktop without icons. It is also an area where icons will
appear when programs are installed or shortcuts created. It is used for the free movement of
the mouse pointer and for file related operations such as copying or moving icons.

Desktop Background
Note you can change the look of the desktop to fit your mood and personality by changing the
wallpaper. Changing the desktop wallpaper of a computer is termed Customizing the Desktop.
Below are the various ways (approaches) of changing the desktop background under Windows
XP:
Approach 1 (Through Control Panel)
1. Click on the Start Button
2. Click on Control Panel
3. Click on Appearances and Themes
4. Click on Display
5. Click the Desktop tab
6. Click your preferred background
7. Click OK

Approach 2 (Through the Desktop)


1. Right-click an empty area on your desktop
2. Click on Properties
3. Click the Desktop tab
4. Click your preferred background
5. Click the OK button

Approach 3 (Directly through an image)


1. Navigate to the image you wish to use as Desktop background
2. Right-click on the desired image
3. Click on open with
4. Click windows picture and fax viewer
5. Right-click on the image
6. Click on Set as Desktop Background

Importance of Taskbar
• It provides access to all installed programs.
• It shows opened programs.
• It provides shortcuts to some installed applications or programs.
• It displays the system date and time.

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