A way of displaying the desktop and its contents that was first used in Microsoft Windows 95. The classic desktop presents users with a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows icons, shortcuts, files, and folders to be placed on it.
These desktop items provide a simple way for users to launch and access frequently used programs and network resources. The Start menu provides another tool for launching programs and accessing resources. The taskbar displays the programs currently running and the windows-to-network resources that are open.
The choice of GUI for users’ client computers can make a big difference in employee productivity. The following are two factors involved in determining whether network administrators should maintain the classic desktop or upgrade to the newer Active Desktop included with Microsoft Internet Explorer beginning with version 4: