What Does Your Desktop Look Like?
By Cate Eales
Appeared April 30, 2009 on castanet.net
Is your desktop a mess? The thing to keep in mind here
is, this is YOUR desktop. So if you want stuff all over it, don't cave to
the pressure others might apply to clean up your desktop.
If, however, even you are having trouble finding anything on your desktop
because of the clutter, I have some suggestions that might help.
Messy Desktop Contest
Over at Spark, on the
CBC website, they've been holding a
Messy Desktop Contest.
I'm not going to win that contest. I have what must be one of the most
boring desktops in the world.
click to enlarge graphic
I don't even have a picture on my desktop, and I only
have a few icons. But I have seen some incredibly cluttered desktops in my
travels to people's homes and offices. If you think your desktop is a
mess, have a look at the Spark contest. If you'd like to clean up that
desktop a little bit, I have some suggestions for you.
A friendly reminder
Just a reminder: You don't have to have an icon on your desktop in order
to start a program. You can launch it from "All Programs" or you can use
the Quick Launch bar at the bottom of the screen, next to the Start
button. So, you can remove shortcut icons from your desktop and still run
your programs. (Shortcut icons have the little arrow pointing to them.
Removing an icon without the little arrow is removing the actual thing ---
not the shortcut. Proceed with caution.)
Launchy is a good alternative to a bunch of
desktop icons
You could also use
Launchy. Launchy is a free utility that will start any of your
programs with just a few keystrokes from you. I use it all day every day,
and it helps me keep my desktop empty. And boring.
I wrote about Launchy in
this column. You can pick it
up here. Launchy
will work with XP and Vista.
Fences keep you organized
If you need or want a fair number of icons on your desktop, then you might
want to
give Fences a try. Fences is a free program that lets you organize and
segregate the stuff on your desktop.
click to enlarge graphic
It starts by suggesting areas for you and grouping your
icons that way. But you can rename, add, remove and reorder those areas.
You can fade your icons in and out, the better to appreciate that desktop
wallpaper. Take a look at the
video
here. Fences works with XP, Vista, and probably with Windows 7.
Bumptop is your desktop in 3D
Bumptop lets you treat
your computer desktop the way you might treat your real life desktop.
Bumptop lets you visualize your desktop in three dimensions, and lets you
create and manipulate stacks of documents, and pin stuff to the "walls."
click to enlarge graphic
Bumptop will run on XP, Vista, and Windows 7, and the more powerful the
computer the better it will run. A dual core CPU is
recommended. Point your browser
here, and flip through
the screen shots, or better still, watch the video.
Do you need help with your computer? With your
scanner/printer/camera/music player? Do you have a virus or a
spyware problem? Do you need a backup plan? Do you have a new
computer and now you're wondering how to get the files from the old one
over to the new one? I'm here to help you and your computer get along! To
ask a question, make a comment or suggestion, or schedule a visit, email
cate@rlis.com. You can read previous columns
here. If you'd like to
subscribe to this column by email,
please visit this link. It's easy, and free. If you'd prefer the
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Links
CBC Radio Spark
http://www.cbc.ca/spark/
CBC Radio Spark - Messy Desktop Contest
http://www.cbc.ca/spark/2009/04/contest-show-us-your-messy-desktop/
How Do I Add An Application To The Quick Launch Bar?
http://www.askdavetaylor.com/how_do_i_add_an_application_to_the_windows_quick_launch_bar.html
Try This
http://rlis.com/columns/column159.htm
Launchy
http://www.launchy.net/
Fences
http://www.stardock.com/products/fences/
Bumptop http://bumptop.com/
Bumptop requirements
http://bumptop.pbworks.com/BumpTop-Frequently-asked-Questions-(FAQ)
Getting Along With Your Computer Column Archives
http://rlis.com/column.htm
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---
Cate Eales has been helping people make online computing safe, accessible
and fun for over 20 years. She lives in Kelowna with her husband, Eric,
and her dog, Sandy. Cate is a partner in Real Life Internet Solutions,
helping individuals and small businesses with virus, spyware and malware
eradication; personal computer training and management; digital image
management; music transfer; and website design, hosting and management.
Email Cate at cate@rlis.com with your
comments, suggestions, or questions. To browse the column archives, visit
the Real Life Internet Solutions website at
www.rlis.com.
©
Cate Eales 2009 – All Rights Reserved
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