How many shortcuts do you pinned on windows task bar?

[Milo Williamson]

I have my file explorer, my control pannel, screen shot saver, disc defrager, easy cut and past screen shot twice on it, sandwich with wpm, Deep L language translator (I am getty way better in Spanish..) Smare defrag seven, and wps..

 

[Hadron]

I don't use Windows very often, but I just counted 26 apps, a folder of terminal emulator shortcuts (1 local terminal + several shortcuts that open ssh sessions to various places), an app folder shortcut, downloads folder and trash can pinned on my MacBook's dock, plus half a dozen or so unpinned apps that are open at the moment.

I do actually use most of those 26 apps either constantly or regularly (terminal emulator and text editor being the most-used).

 

[Shadea]

I gave up Windows a long time ago in favor of Linux. At first it was hard to switch completely, but with time I realized how much worse Windows is than Linux.
And when I used it, I didn't attach any shortcuts at all, I used the desktop.

 

[Dannydet]

I use Rocket dock that keeps all of my shortcuts hidden along the bottom that reveal once you hover your mouse on it.
Probably 16 at last count...
But at least the desktop is clean and uncluttered.

 

[Milo Williamson]

I use Rocket dock that keeps all of my shortcuts hidden along the bottom that reveal once you hover your mouse on it.
Probably 16 at last count...
But at least the desktop is clean and uncluttered.

Even files on your desktop, you are a mad man, you are a mad man!

 

[DaVinchi]

I only have 7 labels because I love minimalism, and it really annoys me when something distracts my attention

If there is a lot of software on the PC, it slows it down, you should always keep it clean. Who among you uses PC cleaning programs? What do you prefer? Cclenaer, Advanced SystemCare, Ausligics BoostSpeed or other soft?

 

[nickdalzell]

I only have "Internet Explorer" (Pale Moon with a custom icon) pinned to mine. Only because if I launch it any other way, the Pale Moon icon shows instead and breaks the visual consistency of Windows 7.

I wish more people knew how to pin to taskbar (or start) because my boss and my family love having hundreds of desktop icons splattered haphazardly on the screen, which I thought was an old Windows 95 mentality. You'd think people would know better today.

 

[Milo Williamson]

I only have "Internet Explorer" (Pale Moon with a custom icon) pinned to mine. Only because if I launch it any other way, the Pale Moon icon shows instead and breaks the visual consistency of Windows 7.

I wish more people knew how to pin to taskbar (or start) because my boss and my family love having hundreds of desktop icons splattered haphazardly on the screen, which I thought was an old Windows 95 mentality. You'd think people would know better today.

View attachment 166765

Yeah my sister is exactly the same way, she has so many desktop short cuts for everything. I have mine just uncluttered away.
Seriously stop thinking it is windows seven! SMH.

 

[Milo Williamson]

I only have 7 labels because I love minimalism, and it really annoys me when something distracts my attention

Seven.... are you insane in the head?

 

[DaVinchi]

I only have "Internet Explorer" (Pale Moon with a custom icon) pinned to mine.

Would you recommend Pale Moon based on your experience? What do you think is better WaterFox or Pale Moon?

 

[nickdalzell]

Pale Moon because it still supports Windows 7. I can't stand the UI of Windows 10 or above, including the forced updates and constant changes. I would rather my computer be exactly as I left it when I go to use it. It also has a nice Aero theme that goes well with Windows 7.

The reason many people used to fill their desktop with icons was due to the start menu. Back in the Window 3.x days the entire desktop was known as the Program Manager and all your icons were in tiled groups all there within view. It was a fast way to organize and have "at a glance" access to every program on your machine.

When Windows 95 came out, all that changed. The "start menu" took the Program Manager and hid it behind a ton of nested menus. To get to, say, Microsoft Flight Simulator, you had to click Start, then hover over Programs, then Games, then Microsoft Games, then Microsoft Flight Simulator, then, untimately, clicking the icon titled Flight Simulator 5.0. If, for any reason, you missed the folder, or hovered just outside the menu, you had to start all over again. Everyone HATED the Start Menu so in a way to speed everything up and basically recreate the Program Manager, they often placed desktop shortcuts to all their apps, documents, and games. That's the origin of the cluttered Windows desktop.

Despite everyone having claimed 'OMG they took the start menu away in Windows 8!!!' the reality for many people was that they HATED the start menu's extra steps. So even in the era of Windows 10 and 11, the cluttered desktop still exists. I personally thought the Start Screen of Windows 8 was nice, as it brought back the Program Manager in a more modern sense. The parts I hated about 8 was the flat design, along with the weird gesture controls if you're using a laptop with touchpad, and the 'charms' bar that made shutting down the system a confusing ordeal. Many apps were trying to be proto-UWP and relied on gestures that you never got an introduction to. For example, to download and read a book on the Kindle app for Windows 8.1, you had to tap and drag down on the book icon. On Android or iOS, you just tapped the book and it downloaded and opened in one step. The 'touch and drag down to download and open a book' was NEVER shown on first run. A ton of Windows 8 apps did this and made using the OS a pain.

The quote should be 'seriously stop treating it like Windows 95!' Windows 7 is like 10 in that you can both pin to start and pin to taskbar. I have most of my oft-used app icons on a desktop gadget.

Here's my Dell Vostro's current setup, albeit with a lot of stuff running. The gadget is on the right side, with 'apps' listed. That's my 'pins'