OS X: Creating ad hoc text files on desktop

When I switched to Mac there was just one feature of Windows XP that I missed. It was the ability to right click on the desktop and create a new text file. Yet OS X has an even easier way of adding a text file to the desktop. Just highlight a block of text and drag it to the desktop. This creates a text file without any intermediate steps. The first few words of the clipping are used as the title which, of course, you can easily change to something more useful. I was reminded in this article on 40tech that not everyone realises this can happen. It’s one of the hidden gems of OS X.