Now there's something I had not thought of. But I know my way around
computers pretty well, starting out with an Apple IIe in the early 1980's.
However, doesn't deleting the non-arrow-embedded icon on the Desktop delete
only the icon itself, even if it refers directly to an application?
Yes, that's correct.
The
application is still there, whether it has a reference icon or not. Wouldn't
you have to go to the uninstall screen to actually get rid of an
application?
Yes. My point is not that there's danger in deleting a shortcut, but
that there's danger of deleting something that you think is a
shortcut, but actually isn't.
I don't keep anything on my desktop that isn't a shortcut. So I might
say that I don't need the arrows, since I know that everything there
will always be a shortcut. But every once in a rare while, I might put
a data file, for example, there, perhaps in preparation for
transferring it somewhere else. It's *because* this is a very rare
event for me that the risk of mixing it up with a shortcut exists.
And that risk becomes higher if you look at other folders besides the
desktop that contain shortcuts.
I can't tell you how great the risk is for you. If you want to do
this, obviously it's your choice. My view is that you are increasing
the risk by some amount, no matter how small, in return for what I
consider to be no advantage at all. I don't have any problem with the
arrows being there, and therefore I wouldn't do this, and always
recommend against it.
But again, it's your choice.
