Technical information

Chapter 2: The Traditional Desktop
35
✓ Start screen: Although hidden, you can fetch
the Start screen by pointing your mouse at the
very bottom-left corner and clicking the Start
screen thumbnail. (A press of the key returns
you to the Start screen, as well.) When sum-
moned, the Start screen still lets you choose
programs to run on your desktop.
✓ Taskbar: Resting lazily along the desktop’s
bottom edge, the taskbar lists the desktop pro-
grams and files you currently have open, as well
as icons for a few favored programs. (Point at a
program’s icon on the taskbar to see the pro-
gram’s name or perhaps a thumbnail photo of
that program in action.)
✓ Recycle Bin: The desktop’s Recycle Bin, that
wastebasket-shaped icon, stores your recently
deleted files for easy retrieval. Whew!
✓ Charms bar: Technically, the shortcut-filled
Charms bar isn’t part of the desktop; it lives
everywhere in Windows 8, hidden beyond every
screen’s right edge. To summon the Charms bar
with a mouse, point at your desktop’s top- or
bottom-right corner.
Here are a few desktop tricks that may help you:
✓ You can start new projects directly from your
desktop: Right-click a blank part of the desktop,
choose New, and choose the project of your
dreams from the pop-up menu, be it loading a
favorite program or creating a folder to store
new files. (The New menu lists most of your
computer’s programs, allowing you to avoid a
laborious journey back to the Start screen.)
✓ Are you befuddled about some desktop object’s
reason for being? Timidly rest the pointer over
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