What makes dim desktop.ini icons show up on my desktop?

What makes dim desktop.ini icons show up on the Windows 7 pro desktop of my Dell laptop?

Is there a use for them?

It's caused by showing hidden files. Those two files are there because the underlying folders that make up the desktop hold those pesky hidden files.
What they do is to control a few display options for Windows Explorer (all per-folder customization is stored in them). If memory serves, for the particular case of the desktop folders they only control the display folder name (so that they localize the real name "desktop") and maybe show a different icon.
Generally, all desktop.ini files can be safely considered useless and deleted without any consequenses.

Alejandro85 said:

It's caused by showing hidden files.

As well as system files, together.