"Wallpaper" vs "background"

In terms of electronic screens (computers, cell phones, PDAs, tablets) what would be more accurate to say: wallpaper or background?

Solution 1:

Wallpaper is a Windows-specific term. On a Mac it is called the desktop background. I believe Linux and many other platforms follow the same generic term (background or desktop background).

Background image/desktop background are more appropriate general-use terms.

Solution 2:

It depends what your intentions are. The 'wallpaper' is an image displayed in the background.

If you are pointing out that a context-sensitive menu may be opened by right-clicking on the background then the presence of a wallpaper image in the background is immaterial.

If you are pointing out that I found a great site with lots of wallpaper images to choose from, 'wallpaper' might be preferable.

Bottom line: wallpaper refers to the image, background refers to a concept in a multi-windowed environment.

Solution 3:

It would be more appropriate to use "background". Windows declared that it was wallpaper a long time ago, but I hesitate to use that term.

It is a background (before anything else) and can be referred to as such.