When you first open a new computer, the desktop is relatively bland. You have a few standard options to choose from in terms of wallpapers and screensavers, but the variety of these choices is limited. If you want to fully customize your computer and give it your own personal touch, you need to go beyond the preset factory settings and install some enhancements.

The most noticeable thing about any computer desktop is the wallpaper; that all encompassing background image. The original wallpaper may be something nature oriented, or just a simple color. Some people never change their wallpaper because they either do not know how to or don't think it is possible. However, it is incredibly simple to change your wallpaper. All you need to do is right-click any image on the Internet and then press Set As Desktop Background. Due to the size necessity of a desktop image, you should use a search engine to search for Desktop Wallpapers, with an additional preceding descriptive phrase to find exactly what you want.

Screensavers appear when you have not been at the computer for a certain amount of time. Their main purpose, officially, is to save energy by not having the desktop on when nobody is there to see it, but many screensavers nowadays use more energy than the desktop. You can find unique, themed screensavers on several freeware websites, or you could make your own screensaver using one of a number of special programs.

You do not need to settle for the classic white pointer as your mouse cursor. There are literally thousands of other options, from magic wands to various animals. When you get tired of one cursor, you can easily switch to another. At least a few hundred choices come in each package, so it will not take long to find the perfect fit.

If you find yourself always forgetting about things, or need the occasional reminder, a desktop alarm can help you. These multi functional applications come with a fully customizable clock (you can even alter clock hands, shadows, and a lot of other things you would never even have thought of), reminding functions, and countdowns. If you are willing to pay for an application of this sort, the available features will be much more numerous than a free application.

Changing everything at once is possible by selecting a theme for your desktop. Themes range from animals to cartoons and even market products. A theme is really just a combination of related wallpapers, screensavers, and icons. For example, if you chose a dog related theme, then your wallpaper would be a dog, the screensaver would be a slideshow of dogs, and your icons would turn into dogs. Make sure that you can really live with what you choose as your theme, because it will be all around you!

One of the best desktop applications around is, of course, made by Google. Google Desktop allows you to search through your computer much more easily than by using the standard search function. It also enables you to pull up and launch applications incredibly quickly. By adding gadgets to Google Desktop, you can further expand its capabilities, including delivering relevant news. The company also sporadically releases updates for all of its applications, so Google Desktop is sure to become even more useful in the future.