1. (desktop computer, worktop) An entire computer that sits on a desk or table, a PC or Macintosh being examples. It usually consists of: a display, usually colour but sometimes monochrome; a system box containing the processor, memory, disk drives, power supply, and communication interfaces; a keyboard; a pointing device, often a mouse. Although the desktop computer is relatively cumbersome compared with a laptop computer of equivalent price, it currently has a significantly better price/performance ratio. A recent trend is toward ‘all-in-one’ desktop machines in which the system box is integrated into the display, as exemplified by the more recent iMac models.

2. Part of a graphical user interface which invites the user to imagine that some or all of the screen is an actual desktop on which actions analogous to those occurring on a physical desktop can be carried out. These include the opening and closing of folders, the entry and modification of text, the disposal of unwanted material into a wastebasket, and the use of communication systems analogous to telephones and mailboxes. The analogy is supposed to make life easier for office workers unused to computers.