Desktop
1. Common term used to describe a standard type of computer that is not easily portable and often left on or around your home or office desk. Additional information about computer cases can be found here. To the right is a picture of the Dell Precision 390 computer courtesy of Dell Inc and an example of a Desktop PC.
Advantages:
Excellent desk computer.
Great use of desk space when monitor is placed on top of the computer.
Disadvantages:
With some types of desktop cases can be very difficult to upgrade.
Recommendations:
Excellent choice for a business and home user computer. End users planning to upgrade or place computer on floor we recommend going with tower computer unless the manufacturer provides a desktop that can be converted to tower.
2. When referring to an operating system or GUI, the Desktop is a system of organization of icons on a screen. The Microsoft Windows Desktop was first introduced with Microsoft Windows 95 and has been included with all versions of Windows since then. Below is a basic example of the Microsoft Windows desktop.
Windows 95 Desktop
As can be seen in the above example picture of the Microsoft Windows desktop. In this picture the blue and white clouds wallpaper and the icons on the left side of the picture above the Windows Taskbar is considered all part of the Windows Desktop.
Also see: Active desktop, Chassis, CTD, Microcomputer, Nettop, Operating system definitions, PC, Presentation manager, Slimline model
