I read somewhere that a messy desktop uses up more memory (processing, not storage, if I remember correctly); so I dumped a lot of those files, and then tucked the rest into a "desktop folder." And now I can see my desktop picture clearly.

I had this problem, until one day I just dumped it all into a newly created folder called "Desktop Cr@p". It works!

A clean OS desktop is just as important to digital well-being as a clean bedroom is to meatspace well-being. I tend to let my My Documents or ~ directory get cluttered instead of my desktop. At least the crap is out of sight. The desktop is just a workspace for whatever it is I've just downloaded and it gets cleaned up when I'm done.

There are 2 apps I highly recommend for keeping your Mac desktop free of cruft. One is Hazel http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/22694 and the other is CleanDesk http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/23604.

Both do basically the same things, although Hazel has more bells and whistles. At the core, they both take items from your desktop (and/or other folders, if you prefer) and file them away to their appropriate folders, based on file type. Hazel takes things a step further by giving you even more options like labeling and basing a variety of actions on how long it's been since the file was last opened, modified or created.

If you want to keep your Mac organized, give one or both a try. Hazel is shareware ($16) and CleanDesk is freeware (and since it's just an applescript app, it's customizable as well).

setting the default download location to a temp directory and not loading peripherals to the desktop cuts down on about 98% of my desktop clutter.

maybe it's my ocd talking, but it ceases to amaze me how anyone can concentrate with a cluttered desktop. if i have three files on mine, i get stressed...

uh, meant to say that it 'never' ceases to...

My desktop has one file for downloads. That's it; except when I have my flashdrives (both for photos) mounted.

P.S. My desktop file contains five folders: dmg, Documents, http , Icon , jpg . Everything nice and tidy.

It's terrible!

I hate having to sit through one of my workplace's long winded presentations and be forced to stare at a desktop that looks like that on a projection screen.

And is that a Quicksilver icon I see on the menu bar? C'mon...make use of it! The whole point of Quicksilver is to gain access to things quickly with a few keystrokes.

Here's an easy trick for Apple users. Create an uberfolder on your Desktop that contains your most frequently used subfolders...or aliases to those folders. Then, drag it to your Dock near the Trash (not on it!). Release and now you can click-hold on the dock icon for easy access to those folders. You can also do this with your Applications folder for quick access to all your apps w/out cluttering up your dock (or chewing up your resources with Quicksilver).

Thanks for the tip, Verily. I'm putting it to use right now.

I have three folders on my desktop: Mac HD, Documents, and Desktop, which is where I file away all of the temporary junk files that I don't intend to keep long enough to file properly. I hate the look of an untidy or disorganised desktop. But it seems like only the neatniks are posting! There must be a few ATers who are willing to cop to untidiness.

Yeah. There were 6 votes for "not." Where are they?

I use a Sony Vaio - running windows.

However I cannot stand a messy desktop. I have the Recycling bin on my desktop and that is it.

I also hate cluttered start menus and having several files in sub directories. My boss added in the employee manual that the computer desktops/start menus cannot be changed.

Very frustrating.