30th May 2000
Shortcuts, while small and simple, suck system resources (sometimes silently). Each one takes up quite a few bytes; if you need as much disk space as humanly possible, start getting rid of "extra" shortcuts. Got more than 10 icons on your Desktop? You're not wasting space (area) as much as you are seconds; it takes less time to refresh 5 icons than it does 50. Same goes for your Start Menu. Plus, it's easier to find a needle in a smaller haystack, pal. Convenience is one thing; productivity is another. While we're on the subject, watch out for linked 'network' shortcuts. When you're not connected, Windows may still try to find the resource; if it's not there, you'll be in for a not-so-short pause. Good rule of thumb: when assigning icons to shortcuts, make sure the icon is local (on your hard drive). Otherwise, you're in for a similar (unnecessary) pause.