Enhancing Your Desktop!
Microsoft Windows 7 is here. And around 2 months back, on November 19, 2009 to be precise, the world got its first glimpse of Chrome OS, the much anticipated, lightweight operating system for netbooks from Google. Both insist that speed, simplicity and security are the names of game. And the mantra for the morrow is: decongest, uncomplicate and unclutter.
If you live with a cluttered desktop crammed with loads of icons, Fences for example, allows you to organize icons into individual sections or `containers' so that you can find what you need more easily on the desktop. Further, you can label these containers and park programmes, files, or web links etc., together. You can group items by project too if you want.
This nifty free programme has a quick hide feature that fades out all desktop icons on a double-clicking as well.
Want a Mac-lookalike interface?
Download ObjectDock, a free programme that can replace your Windows Taskbar with a Mac OS X kind of quick-launch animated dock of shortcuts, programmes and active tasks. Not an Apple fan? Never mind. ObjectDock has several other pretty `skins' your desktop can don. The task managercum-programme launcher allows you to pick custom icons and set various animation options during mouse-over. If you find yourself spending far too much time on FaceBook, Twitter or chatting and would like to discipline yourself by curtailing your social networking, check out a programme called TimeLeft. A desktop countdown, reminder, clock, alarm clock, tray clock, stopwatch, timer, sticky note, web countdown, working days countdown and a time synchronization utility -- time-telling apps all, and all rolled into one. Each of these is customizable and can be arranged on the desktop as per individual preference. The app again is gratis and the interface is really simple and intuitive.
And if you've ever wanted to meddle with the Windows logon screen itself, get yourself a free copy of LogonStudio. This one lets you create, alter and apply Windows Vista and XP logon screens. While it comes with several pre-baked options, you can use the accompanying editor to conjure up your own. Or take your pick from the thousands available online on sites like WinCustomize.
Happy tweaking!
Want a Mac-lookalike interface?
Download ObjectDock, a free programme that can replace your Windows Taskbar with a Mac OS X kind of quick-launch animated dock of shortcuts, programmes and active tasks. Not an Apple fan? Never mind. ObjectDock has several other pretty `skins' your desktop can don. The task managercum-programme launcher allows you to pick custom icons and set various animation options during mouse-over. If you find yourself spending far too much time on FaceBook, Twitter or chatting and would like to discipline yourself by curtailing your social networking, check out a programme called TimeLeft. A desktop countdown, reminder, clock, alarm clock, tray clock, stopwatch, timer, sticky note, web countdown, working days countdown and a time synchronization utility -- time-telling apps all, and all rolled into one. Each of these is customizable and can be arranged on the desktop as per individual preference. The app again is gratis and the interface is really simple and intuitive.
And if you've ever wanted to meddle with the Windows logon screen itself, get yourself a free copy of LogonStudio. This one lets you create, alter and apply Windows Vista and XP logon screens. While it comes with several pre-baked options, you can use the accompanying editor to conjure up your own. Or take your pick from the thousands available online on sites like WinCustomize.
Happy tweaking!
All About Your Desktop!
Desktop is your monitor's screen where all your work takes place. It is the first screen which you see after logging into windows. Here we can create Files and Folders and arrange them all over the screen. Each program runs in its own little window on top of the desktop. When we initially install windows, your desktop is clean with just the "Recycle bin" seated there. This is how the "Desktop" would look like:
Lets discuss here the anatomy of your desktop:
As shown in the figure above, you would notice, we have divided desktop into these main parts:
1. The Start Menu: It is seen at the taskbar’s left edge, lets you locate and run programs.
2. Quick Launch: a customizable toolbar that lets you display the Windows Desktop or start a program, such as Internet Explorer with a single click.
3. Task Bar: Bar which rests along the desktop’s bottom edge and lists the programs and
files you’re currently working on.
4. System Tray: also called as Notification Area, is on the right side of the Taskbar on the Windows interface used to display the system clock, status of various functions, such as speaker volume, network connection and few other programs as per your desire which would start when you reboot your computer.
5. Recycle Bin: A place which stores your deleted files and lets you safely retrieve accidentally
deleted files.
You can start any new project directly from your desktop: Right click on the desktop, choose "New", and select the project you wish to work on from the popup menu. (The menu lists most of your computer’s programs for quick and easy access.)
Incase you are confused about a program in your program list and its functionality, or an icon or on your desktop, all you need to do is to get your cursor there and place it on its top and windows will popup a little box explaining what that thing is and what is its fuction. eg, as demonstrated below, we got the cursor over "control panel" to get windows to tell us, what is it actually there for.
Incase all the icons on your desktop disappear, leaving it empty, reason would be probably because windows XP hid everything in a misguided attempt to be helpful. To bring your work back as it was, right click on your empty desktop and choose "Arrange Icons By" from the popup menu. Finally, choose "Show Desktop Icons" to make everything reappear with no harm done.
We will continue with a few more tips on how to organize your desktop in our next post.
Lets discuss here the anatomy of your desktop:
As shown in the figure above, you would notice, we have divided desktop into these main parts:
1. The Start Menu: It is seen at the taskbar’s left edge, lets you locate and run programs.
2. Quick Launch: a customizable toolbar that lets you display the Windows Desktop or start a program, such as Internet Explorer with a single click.
3. Task Bar: Bar which rests along the desktop’s bottom edge and lists the programs and
files you’re currently working on.
4. System Tray: also called as Notification Area, is on the right side of the Taskbar on the Windows interface used to display the system clock, status of various functions, such as speaker volume, network connection and few other programs as per your desire which would start when you reboot your computer.
5. Recycle Bin: A place which stores your deleted files and lets you safely retrieve accidentally
deleted files.
You can start any new project directly from your desktop: Right click on the desktop, choose "New", and select the project you wish to work on from the popup menu. (The menu lists most of your computer’s programs for quick and easy access.)
Incase you are confused about a program in your program list and its functionality, or an icon or on your desktop, all you need to do is to get your cursor there and place it on its top and windows will popup a little box explaining what that thing is and what is its fuction. eg, as demonstrated below, we got the cursor over "control panel" to get windows to tell us, what is it actually there for.
Incase all the icons on your desktop disappear, leaving it empty, reason would be probably because windows XP hid everything in a misguided attempt to be helpful. To bring your work back as it was, right click on your empty desktop and choose "Arrange Icons By" from the popup menu. Finally, choose "Show Desktop Icons" to make everything reappear with no harm done.
We will continue with a few more tips on how to organize your desktop in our next post.Refreshing The Desktop - A myth
Refreshing the desktop is perhaps the biggest computer myth among all Windows users and most of us do it every now and then without knowing the actual significance behind it. Maybe because we feel, it refreshes the RAM or keep the PC working fine.
Refreshing the desktop simply redraws the icons on the desktop. That's all. It doesn't refreshes the RAM. It doesn't clean your PC. It has absolutely no effect on the working or performance of the computer. Refresh is to re-display the desktop. Refresh has the same function when done in explorer. So, if you are in the habit of refreshing the desktop, stop it. You are just wasting your time and effort. And the next time you see a person doing it, don't forget to explain to him the futility of this action.
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