Active Desktop was a feature in older versions of Windows and Internet Explorer that allowed HTML content to be displayed on the desktop. It was disliked by users and has been dropped in newer versions. It played a role in the Microsoft antitrust lawsuit. Newer versions have similar features with better integration.
Active Desktop® is an important feature in some older versions of Microsoft Windows® and Internet Explorer®. This feature allowed certain types of hypertext markup language (HTML) to operate dynamically on the user’s desktop. Active Desktop® was available in some versions of Windows 95®, Windows 98® and some versions of Windows XP®, as well as Internet Explorer® versions 4 through 6. This feature was disliked by many users and therefore was rarely used, but it’s existence was a major point in the Microsoft® antitrust lawsuit.
This program worked by creating a series of channels on the user’s desktop. Each of these channels linked to a different HTML-based source. This allowed web content, such as news feeds, weather information, or stock quotes, to be displayed on the user’s desktop whenever the computer was connected to the Internet.
Later versions of Active Desktop® expanded the types of code allowed in active programs. These programs were able to change the appearance of many desktop features, especially the wallpaper and standard desktop icons. These additional features functioned on a level below other desktop programs, allowing multiple programs to run stacked on top of each other.
Active Desktop® was generally not appreciated by most users. The information exchanged used a significant amount of the computer’s Internet connection. Additionally, the constantly running apps acted as a separate program, often bogging down the system. As a result, Active Desktop® has been dropped in the latest version of Windows® and Internet Explorer®.
Later versions of Windows® have different programs that may look similar to Active Desktop®, but are actually completely different. In Windows Vista®, the Windows Sidebar® displays active web content on the desktop. In this case, each app is integrated into a single program, reducing required memory and bandwidth usage. Windows 7® has a similar feature called Desktop Gadgets® that works the same way, but isn’t limited in space.
In the antitrust case against Microsoft®, this program played a key role. A major point of the lawsuit was that Microsoft® used Internet Explorer® as a means to leverage the use of the Internet and switch users to the Windows® operating system. By preventing other operating systems from using Internet Explorer®, it forced people to choose.
Microsoft® stated that Internet Explorer® was an integral part of the Windows® operating system. The company demonstrated this with two main arguments. First, the code that the system uses to govern Internet traffic is built into the browser. Second, Active Desktop®, a key feature of the Windows® operating system, is integrated directly into Internet Explorer®.
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