desktop - technical definition

(1) See desktop computer.

(2) A buzzword attached to some of the first personal computer applications in the 1980s that were previously performed on larger computers, such as desktop publishing and desktop mapping.

(3) The screen background in Windows, Mac or other graphical user interface (GUI). The desktop is covered with "wallpaper," which makes no sense until you realize that the screen is vertical like a wall, not horizontal like the top of a desk.

The Desktop Can Be a Laptop!
Since every computer whether stationary or portable has a screen background, the term often refers to a user's machine in general. "The system services 500 desktops" means 500 client machines, whether desktops, laptops or netbooks.

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.