I like having stuff on my desktop in neat little rows and columns like this:


The way to get them like that without having to use a ruler and nudging them millimetre by millimetere is like this:

1. Right-click the desktop, select Show View Options and you'll see this:



Tick Snap To Grid and they'll always be neatly aligned. You can also sort them by name, etc.

I'm currently playing with Overflow as a way to organise within the dock.
If I had a 20 inch monitor like Helens new Mac I would be using the desktop a lot more )