Desktop
Encyclopedia
Desktop refers to the surface of a desk
.
The term has been adopted as an adjective to distinguish office appliances (such as photocopiers and printers) which can be fitted on top of a desk, from larger equipment covering its own area on the floor.
Desktop may also refer to:
Desk
A desk is a furniture form and a class of table often used in a work or office setting for reading or writing on or using a computer. Desks often have one or more drawers to store office supplies and papers. Unlike a regular table, usually only one side of a desk is suitable to sit on . Not all...
.
The term has been adopted as an adjective to distinguish office appliances (such as photocopiers and printers) which can be fitted on top of a desk, from larger equipment covering its own area on the floor.
Desktop may also refer to:
- Desktop computerDesktop computerA desktop computer is a personal computer in a form intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a mobile laptop or portable computer. Early desktop computers are designed to lay flat on the desk, while modern towers stand upright...
, a personal computer designed to fit on a desk- Pizza box form factorPizza box form factorIn computing, a pizza box is a style of case for computers or network switches. Cases of this type tend to be wide and flat, normally one or two rack units in height, thus resembling pizza delivery boxes....
, a design of computer case
- Pizza box form factor
- Desktop metaphorDesktop metaphorThe desktop metaphor is an interface metaphor which is a set of unifying concepts used by graphical user interfaces to help users more easily interact with the computer. The desktop metaphor treats the monitor of a computer as if it is the user's desktop, upon which objects such as documents and...
, especially the area behind the windows in a GUI using this metaphor- Desktop environmentDesktop environmentIn graphical computing, a desktop environment commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface derived from the desktop metaphor that is seen on most modern personal computers. These GUIs help the user in easily accessing, configuring, and modifying many important and frequently accessed...
, software that provides a comprehensive computer user interface
- Desktop environment
- Client (computing)Client (computing)A client is an application or system that accesses a service made available by a server. The server is often on another computer system, in which case the client accesses the service by way of a network....
, sometimes referred to as desktop to distinguish from the server