In Windows at least, stuff on the desktop gets loaded into memory...
I don't know where you get this from. I do have some things on the Desktop and they certainly aren't loaded into memory or running. Things only get loaded into memory if they are startup items, started items, or processes called by the system. I've seen systems with so much stuff on the Desktop that it would crash the largest system imaginable if that was true. The items on the Desktop are stored in the "Documents and Settings" sub-folder that belongs to each user on the system.
also it doesn't get backed so obviously (a pain given that it's sitting right there in front of you) so my desktop is empty, except for maybe temporary shortcuts.
If you mean "backed up", it gets backed up when the Documents and Settings folder is backed up, which should happen with any standard backup.
FWIW, I just put shortcuts on the desktop, except with certain items I haven't decided to locate somewhere. Everything else sits in the standard hierarchical file system, but the things that have immediate need often have shortcuts on the Desktop.
I've used both Windows and Mac systems for the last ten years and, at this point, find very little difference except that my son can't get any of the good computer games for the Mac.
Jeff Spirer
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