Active Desktop Even before these evolutionary changes to the Windows desktop were released, people at Microsoft were hard at work on the first version of Internet Explorer. At that time Microsoft was successfully selling two different models for interacting with information on the Internet, one based on the Windows 95 shell, and the other on the browser. Now being able to Webcast content to the desktop is going to appeal to a lot of people. Animation, sound and dynamic content; from tickers to enticing world images to sports, news, and gossip - if you want it on your desktop, somebody will be piping it there in the months to come. Choose a topic from the list below, or just read on down the page. What is it Adding an item Setting a Desktop Component Tips

What is it ?

Microsoft believes that integrating the best of the Web with the best of the Windows desktop provides a superior computing experience for users. As part of True Web Integration, the Active Desktop has created a whole new desktop computing model in which HTML becomes the ultimate language for expressing the user interface. Additionally, by integrating the Windows desktop with the Web, the Active desktop creates new channels for content providers to deliver information to their viewers.

To activate the Active desktop, right-click on the desktop. The pop-up box (left) will appear, and from this you can control the desktop's behaviour and appearance.

View As Web Page: Turns on your pre-defined Active desktop components.

Customise my Desktop: Calls the Display properties/Web Tab, which is where Desktop components are set-up.

Update Now: Refreshes all content on the Desktop by connecting to the URL or local file and downloads a new or revised version of the component.

Refresh: Refreshes all entire Desktop.

Properties: Will also bring up the Display Properties which enables you to edit your components' properties.

Paste, Paste Shortcut, Undo Delete and New:  All control icons and folders on the desktop.

Adding an Item

The Add to Desktop button can either be an icon or a hyperlink which points to a CDF file that instructs Windows to implement the component. After a brief pause, the component will appear on your desktop. If a schedule is attached to the component it will update itself according to that schedule. You can change the schedule manually by editing the properties of the Item. The rest of the adjustments are as follows:

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The new button enables you to specify a network or local location as your Desktop Component (see below).

Delete: Removes all trace of the Component.

Properties enables you to modify the Subscription details and the URL of the Desktop Item.

Try it previews the selection in a temporary window.

Disable all Web-related content in my Desktop will remove all of the selected components from the Desktop.

Here the Items on the Active Desktop are a mixture of Active desktop tickers and visual presentations. CNN, for example, updates every five minutes with the latest world news.

Setting a desktop Component

To specify a local or Network URL to reside on your desktop simply select  the Add feature. You will be prompted to enter a URL or set a path to the desired HTML file. Any Subscription schedule can be attached to the component using the same Subscription method used when you subscribe to a channel or Favorite.

Select New from the Web Tab in Display Properties and select the HTML page or pages you want to appear on your desktop. Once on the desktop the area can be reshaped to fit in with the rest of your components.

Tips

Desktop Components have a hotspot on the inner edge. Hold the mouse over the hotspot to see the following:

This pop-up tab enables you to Subscribe, Customise or close the component.

To close the Component click the X.

To move the component, drag it while holding down the left mouse button.

Select any edge of the box and when the two way arrow appear drag to re-size.