What does the term “Pinned” mean?

In the world of computers, the term “Pinned” is a lot like the physical act of pinning something up on a cork board. In our case, it refers to items within a window that are kept in the same place for easy access. Programs, applications, web sites, etc. can all be stuck up in a menu and accessed at your leisure depending on the program.

For Example:

The Windows Vista Start Menu is divided into two sections. The top half of the menu is reserved for pinned items. Because I use Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver almost every day, I keep them pinned; making them accessible at the click of a mouse at any time.

How does one do this? Simply right-click on an icon on your desktop and choose "Pin to Start Menu". It's just that easy!

The bottom section of the Start Menu is reserved for frequently used programs, or programs that I use on a regular basis. Though this may sound the same as a pinned menu, the items on the list change dynamically based on what I've been apt to do lately. So if I've been using the calculator a lot, it's icon will show up, but if I stop using it for awhile and make use of something else, that icon will show up.

Get the point? :)

~Andrew