desktop

(1) See desktop computer.

(2) A buzzword attached to applications traditionally performed on earlier minicomputers and mainframes that were converted to desktop computers (desktop publishing, desktop mapping, etc.).

(3) The screen background of a graphical user interface (GUI) such as Windows or Mac. The covering of a computer desktop is called "wallpaper," which makes no sense at all until you realize that the screen is vertical like a wall, rather than horizontal like a real desktop.

The One-Foot Desktop
Since the advent of the computer, people have increasingly viewed data on screen instead of on paper, but are forced to view electronic documents on one square foot of screen space. With paper documents, people often lay out several pages on their desk side by side for observation. Having multiple documents visible to the eye is a natural way humans work, and side-by-side documents are essential for quick comparison.

After more than 25 years of personal computing, most people still cannot spread out two Web or letter pages on screen. For that, it takes a screen resolution of at least 1,600 horizontal pixels, which only becomes comfortable when the screen size reaches 20 inches or more. In order to have that convenience, users have to print the documents first, which is why the paperless office continues to be a myth.

Back to Medieval Days
The fact is that when a computer has two very large monitors side by side, it becomes the true electronic equivalent of a real desk. It then offers the same convenience as a desk used by, say, King Charles of England in 1642.

A True Desktop

Having multiple windows on screen at the same time offers the convenience of a real desk. These two 21" flat panels allow four Web pages to be viewed at the same time.

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1.	(operating system)	desktop - In a WIMP graphical user interface, the visual representation of a real desktop (the top surface of a piece of furniture) with documents, folders and a rubbish bin arranged on it. The user manipulates files on the computer by using a mouse to click and drag their representations (icons) on the desktop. The WIMP interface and desktop metaphor was invented at Xerox PARC and popularised by the Apple Macintosh.
2.	(computer)	desktop - desktop computer.