Arriving at the desktop of a PC marks the beginning of the day or session for almost every PC user out there.  This desktop, originally meant to emulate the workspace of your actual desk, has not changed much since the early days of the operating system.  Users can change out the wallpaper to view exotic locations, family photos or abstract images and store shortcuts to access documents, programs, web sites, etc.  Other than that, the space is really an untouched area of the computer that is ignored as we jump from task to task throughout our work day or browsing session.  Why is that?  Wouldn’t it be more helpful if this area provided important information to help guide us through our day.  Can we please get a Functional Desktop?

Over the last few days, we have shared information on “skinning” your background to provide entertainment (see links to previous articles below).  Today, we show you how to make that space functional as well.   The Functional Desktop is available to PC users, yet it has never been very mainstream.  There are numerous programs available and each has a very different take on how you, the user, should organize your desktop for efficiency.  These programs also range from basic, easy-to-install applications to fully customizable, “you might as well be an engineer” programs that allow you to completely change the way you use your desktop and your PC.  We’re going to provide you with a few options, covering this range, that you can begin using today.

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