Desktop

[Kit]

The desktop is the primary user interface of a computer. When you boot up your computer, the desktop is displayed once the startup process is complete. It includes the desktop background (or wallpaper) and icons of files and folders you may have saved to the desktop. In Windows, the desktop includes a task bar, which is located at the bottom of the screen by default. In Mac OS X, the desktop includes a menu bar at the top of the screen and the Dock at the bottom.
The desktop is visible on both Windows and Macintosh computers as long as an application or window is not filling up the entire screen. You can drag items to and from the desktop, just like a folder. Since the desktop is always present, items on the desktop can be accessed quickly, rather than requiring you to navigate through several directories. Therefore, it may be helpful to store commonly used files, folders, and application shortcuts on your desktop.
Both the Windows and Macintosh operating systems allow you to customize the appearance of your desktop. In Windows 7, you can change the desktop background and select the default desktop icons within the Personalization control panel. In Mac OS X 10.6, you can change the desktop background using the Desktop

[Tracie Lynn]

The working surface of a desk.

[Britney]

a view on a computer screen that contains icons (= small symbols or pictures) representing files, programs, and other features of the computer:

[Merna]

(v.) When a [laptop] becomes [dependent] on its [power source].