DESKTOP ENVIRONMENT

A desktop environment (DE) commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface (GUI)
that is based on the desktop metaphor which can be seen on most modern personal
computers
today.Almost universally adopted in modern computers these graphical interfaces are
designed to assist the user in easily accessing and configuring (or modifying) the most
important (frequently accessed) specific OS packed features, yet it is not meant to give
access to the whole vast feature set
found in an OS, reason for which the traditional, yet more complicated and less intuitive,
command-line interface (CLI) still in use when full control over the OS is required.

Examples of desktop environments

✔ Mac OS X
A line of computer operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc,. And
since 2002 has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems
✔ GNOME
A part of the GNU Project and can be used with various Unix-like operating systems,
most notably those built on top of the Linux kernel and the GNU user land, and as part
of Java Desktop System in Solaris.
✔ KDE
A free software project based around its flagship product, a desktop environment mainly
for Unix-like systems.
✔ Xfast
A lightweight desktop environment that incorporates X and a window manager within
the same project and therefore doesn't needs a separate X-server and WM.
✔ Mezzo
The desktop environment created by Ryan Quinn. Added to Symphony OS, it follows
Jason Spisak's Laws of interface Design and poses a new way of presenting data to the
user.