Desktop
The opening screen is called the desktop.

Icons
The pictures/images on your desktop are called icons when double clicked the icon opens and runs a program, such as; Internet Explorer.

Folders
Your desktop may also have images of folders that contain files. You can double-click on a file and it will open up the program that the file was created in and the file itself.
Note: If the folder has a hand holding it that means it is a shared folder and can be accessed by others on the network.

Start Button
The Start Button located in the lower left hand side of the screen is the central link to all the programs on your computer and to all the tasks you can carry out in Windows XP. Clicking on the Start Button will open the Start Menu.

Taskbar
To the right of the Start Button is the Taskbar. It shows which programs you have open at any time.

The Desktop Notification Area
Located in the lower right hand side of the Taskbar the time is displayed and as you work other items will be place in the notification area temporarily, such as a print job.