Exploring the Windows Interface

Figure 1.14 shows the basic elements that you’ll find on the Windows XP desktop. Microsoft modeled Windows on a real-world office environment: You have a desktop, on which you work and use tools, and folders, in which you organize files.

Figure 1.14. Basic elements of the Windows XP desktop. The desktop makes it easier to use the computer by letting you move items and manage your tasks in much the same way that you would on a physical desktop.