Desktop program icons

In recent years I have found I rarely click on the desktop icons anymore. With the introduction of w7 I have found them to be a complete nusiance and with the combo the task bar and start menu I have nearly all of my programs at my disposal ..

Just wondering if other users have found desktop icons next useless now !

Hardly ever use them. Why double-click when you can single-click?

In reply to a post by Taras:

Just wondering if other users have found desktop icons next useless now !

I don't know about the "now". I haven't used destop icons (other that transitory ones) since the days of Win 95.

I like a clean desktop, even to the extent of autohiding the task bar.

Ian

In reply to a post by AnotherExPipex:

Hardly ever use them. Why double-click when you can single-click?

I use desktop icons, and single click them.

Yes - I know it can be done.

Yep in folder options. That said, I have about 9 major programs I use on a regular basis and another 20 or so that may be used on a weekly basis so with w7 I have the most used ones pinned to the task bar and the rest pinned on the start menu.

That new Windows 7 taskbar isn't for me - I got rid of it and put the quick launch one back on.

Couldn't believe how large the default icon size was - took up so much space!

How is your system set up? (As looking at your comment you don't use icons)

you can make them go little

Not as little as the quicklaunch bar icons

In reply to a post by keith_thfc:

Not as little as the quicklaunch bar icons

Nearly as much .. just took a snapshot of the bar in small icon mode and named it midgetbar

I exclusively use the task bar, the Start Menu, or the command line to launch programs. Otherwise I find I have to resize windows to get at the desktop icons. I do this on Windows 7, Vista, and XP (also on my Linux, BSD, Solaris, and OS X installations). The only time I have been a fan of desktop icons was on OS/2, where they were far more versatile.

(Edited for typo.)

Edited by deleted (Tue 04-Aug-09 11:25:55)

In reply to a post by DavidFinbarr:

In reply to a post by AnotherExPipex:

Hardly ever use them. Why double-click when you can single-click?

I use desktop icons, and single click them.

Same here. Been that way ever since XP was released. I always go to the Explorer options and enable single clicking. I don't understand why so few people do. The only time it's a pain is when a dialog with a list view doesn't give focus to the view when you hover the mouse over it. Visual Studio does that and you're forced to single-click in a blank area or tab to the view.

But to return to the topic:I still use desktop icons for some things. I generally keep the number quite small though - on most of my systems there's only one column and it often doesn't even reach the bottom of the screen.

I have known people (such as my Dad) that put documents on the desktop. When I first saw it I was shocked (you know how it is with parents - where do they get some of these ideas from? ). But when I saw him using it the advantage was clear. Want to create an invoice? Just click the icon (I helped him convert to single clicking). Same with creating an appointment. He even lays things out according to function so that documents in progress are in a group of their own.

In effect he's treating his desktop like a real-world desktop. That's probably what he's used to and it clearly suits him. I tend to treat a real world desktop as something that stops my tea mug from falling on the floor and little else

Edited by Andrue (Tue 04-Aug-09 11:35:25)

In reply to a post by idb:

In reply to a post by Taras:

Just wondering if other users have found desktop icons next useless now !

I like a clean desktop, even to the extent of autohiding the task bar.

I don't think I could ever get on with that.

Then again I didn't like dual monitor set ups at first either. I'm now thinking of getting myself a third one

Have never used desktop icons - it's just too much trouble to get to them.

I'm trialling Windows 7 at home and I like the new task bar. I thought I would hate it at first but in reality it's a lot more functional. I'm at the point where I miss not having it at work now, as soon as I get my licences I will be upgrading there as well.

John.

In reply to a post by Andrue:

I have known people (such as my Dad) that put documents on the desktop. When I first saw it I was shocked (you know how it is with parents - where do they get some of these ideas from? ).

I'm a Dad and I do use the Desktop for a few oft-used programs but never for files and docs. I am shocked when my kids leave documents all over it.

So much for your ageism!

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

In reply to a post by Andrue:

I have known people (such as my Dad) that put documents on the desktop. When I first saw it I was shocked (you know how it is with parents - where do they get some of these ideas from? ).

I'm a Dad and I do use the Desktop for a few oft-used programs but never for files and docs. I am shocked when my kids leave documents all over it.

So much for your ageism!

Oh he does okay. Does very well most of the time. He actually surprised me once by pointing out that a TV programme I had missed was available on iPlayer. I hadn't even thought to look

His real problem is that he worked with computers at ICL in the 60s. That means he knows enough about computers to use weird jargon and assumes there's always one-and just one-correct way to do things. My Mum's problem is that she insists on memorising mouse and menu combinations. No matter how many times I try to get her to read the screen and understand what she's doing.

Then again I can see myself going the same way. I still can't get on with Office 2007's Ribbon Bar. I'm also increasingly getting frustrated with minor changes to the way the UI behaves. I seem to spend a lot of time fighting the UI because it's trying to be too helpful.

Every now and again I have to use my old Win2k machine and it increasingly feels like 'coming home'. Things behave the way I expect them to and I can do what I need without the UI interfering. Bah. It were all better in my day...

Edited by Andrue (Tue 04-Aug-09 13:42:47)

In reply to a post by Sark:

Have never used desktop icons - it's just too much trouble to get to them.

I'm trialling Windows 7 at home and I like the new task bar. I thought I would hate it at first but in reality it's a lot more functional. I'm at the point where I miss not having it at work now, as soon as I get my licences I will be upgrading there as well.

John.

Yeah I've found the new task bar sooo usefull.Addin jump lists now on nearly every program from note pad to paint to photoshop, going back to recent files to work on them is a breaze.

still use them quite a lot - arranged into areas on Desktop for different types of Apps (Windows Key + M to access when needed). Also use run box for various apps - Windows Key + R then WinWord/excel etc. - Find much quicker than start menu

In reply to a post by Kenneth:

still use them quite a lot - arranged into areas on Desktop for different types of Apps (Windows Key + M to access when needed). Also use run box for various apps - Windows Key + R then WinWord/excel etc. - Find much quicker than start menu

Heh, me too for quite a few things.

It's sad really. I like to claim that I hardly ever use the command line but Windows+R is never far from my finger tips

can end up on command prompt or linux shell several times a day at work - less so at home, but not unheard of

In reply to a post by Kenneth:

can end up on command prompt or linux shell several times a day at work - less so at home, but not unheard of

Oh well, Linux, sure. I wouldn't expect otherwise.

But for Windows the only time I use a command shell is for ping/ipconfig or a couple of batch files we use in development to muck about with assemblies. I'm not sure if Windows+R can be called a command line

I often end up running build scripts with different parameters (key ones usually have batch files that call them), or using xcopy /s to copy files into same directory structures or just to pipe a list of files to a text file which then becomes a batch file - it's just too useful not to use (though can be a little limiting at times)

Are you two using XP? Try: http://www.launchy.net/

It's redundant on Vista but it's a lot better than Windows+R.

John.

In reply to a post by Kenneth:

I often end up running build scripts with different parameters (key ones usually have batch files that call them), or using xcopy /s to copy files into same directory structures or just to pipe a list of files to a text file which then becomes a batch file - it's just too useful not to use (though can be a little limiting at times)

We have an XML based copier. Several of our suites are compromised of multiple solutions so we have some quite complex configuration based stuff. They not only copy - they also register for COM and move stuff into and out of the GAC.

As with all automation - it's great when it works but a right royal PITA when it needs to be updated

Aside from My Computer, My Documents, Recycle Bin and an icon for each drive, I only use my desktop as a clearing house for downloaded files, with all my program shortcuts on the Start Menu

In reply to a post by daveros13:

Aside from My Computer, My Documents, Recycle Bin and an icon for each drive, I only use my desktop as a clearing house for downloaded files, with all my program shortcuts on the Start Menu

I have a downloads folder for that.. and since vista - theres a been a default downloads folder as well

No icons at all, the bin is a gadget on the vista sidebar. I use the taskbar icons & "desktop x" app for a hidden old style start menu top left of the desktop for all programs etc.