How Cluttered Is Your Desktop?

[kenjin]

Here's a screen cap of mine just now.. Its getting out of control..

screenshot

Edited November 22, 2007 by kenjin

[thaipete]

make yourself a couple of tool bars and get rid of the clutter

[kenjin]

I normaly dump everything in a folder when theres no room left but I`m a download junkie... I generally have a sort out every 4 months or so back up what i need then format C n' start again..

[Firefoxx]

I only have about 3 columns of programs, which leaves around 90% of the screen free of icons (it's a 22" screen). I adjusted my taskbar to be double-decker, since I keep around 20-40 programs open at any time, and I don't like "group similar tasks". The reason my desktop is so clean is because I do a lot of things the traditional way... via command prompts and such. I also install only the programs that I actually use, and don't install extras or stuff that does something that another program can do (I don't have winamp, since media player does the job, etc. etc). No document/work folders (except the default) are actually located on my desktop.

There are people who do everything on their desktop, and for those it can get pretty cluttered. I saw one guy who had 90% of his desktop covered with icons, and his system tray had around 20-30 icons.

[MrSquigle]

really, only thing more boring than me reading this riveting thread and what passed as a moment in your life...must have been the hours it took for you to think up a thread to post that you thought we would all love to hear about.

[Guest Reimar]

Nice Illegal copy of Windows by the way.

But to get it sorted may you would like to consider to use multiple desktops. As far as I know there some freeware around which do the job but I can't sugest what I use because ii's Payware!

[Tywais]

I've certainly seen worse at the office I work at, especially the secretaries machines. I myself prefer being more tidy. My desktop below without and with Start menu popped up. Most used programs go into the Quick Launch section, everything else categorized.

[nidge]

The only thing i own that i can actually keep tidy is my desktop.

[kenjin]

really, only thing more boring than me reading this riveting thread and what passed as a moment in your life...must have been the hours it took for you to think up a thread to post that you thought we would all love to hear about.

It gave you something to post a reply about..I have an idea.....Maybe all posts in this forum should be directed to you personally for inspection of post worthiness.

"All hail Mr Squigle the King of interesting topic posts" TSSR!

[Steve2UK]

I have just a couple of shortcuts on my desktop - solely because they're programmes I have difficulty in remembering the name of via the Start list. Any install that offers me the chance to add a desktop shortcut, I uncheck that box - and I routinely delete any shortcuts plonked on the desktop by an install that doesn't give me the choice. What's left is file stuff that I access regularly and don't want to go through the programme's file menu to access - plus bits & pieces of stuff that I'm currently working with and temporarily "park" on the desktop like a Post-it note.

Oh yes - and just 8 quick launch progs in the bar.

Edited November 22, 2007 by Steve2UK

[Naam]

my desktop looks exactly like the tops of my desks, i.e. everything must be handy and accessible in a split second.

[MrSquigle]

Thanks Ken...as much as I would be overjoyed by that task, I feel I would not be able to hold back my enthusiasm and joy and would just become too emotionaly wrecked after ingesting such riveting information.

[tjo o tjim]

While I used to have about 10,000 files on my desktop, it is now clean thanks to some of the handy new features in OS X Leopard.

The reason it was initially such a mess was that everything was downloaded to the desktop, and once there isn't any space left what is the point in fighting it. With desktop search (spotlight on the mac), I find almost no need to worry about where my files are actually stored locally-- it is only really important to me on my server. Today with Leopard, I can easily see the files in Downloads through the little fan-out gimmick (stacks?), and with the instant thumbnails of the files it makes it easy to remove all the cryptically named downloaded PDF files that I don't actually want to keep around.

To me, the biggest question is if it is just ugly having all the applications lying around, or if it is real chaos. The real desktop parallel to Naam is logical enough, but a visually cluttered desktop is only a problem either you or other people you work with cannot find the information. "Files" never belonged on a real or virtual desktop, but people are lazy. I would argue that "applications" don't really belong there either, with the possible exception of something like a phone where you have a need for fast, mindless access.

[Firefoxx]

Some things bore people, other things interest people, but not all people are interested in the same thing. I don't really know why a person who is so bored by a topic would want to participate in it.

[PhilHarries]

My desktop has an in tray that is overflowing due to a quantity of A3 drawings in it. Next to that is a pile of documents in various states of review topped by Subpart 2 of ASME Section II Part D. Then most of the rest is covered by live documents I am currently working on. This leaves just about enough space for my monitor, keyboard, mousepad and tea mug.

Sorry, childish I know, but I just couldn't resist.

[sniffdog]

Here's mine ........ 600 GB behind it ....

[kayo]

Everything on either top or bottom toolbars both set to Auto-hide, or else use start menu.

I like drawers.

[JimsKnight]

Mine's not too cluttered, less than a quarter has icons on it.