When the desktop client launches, it should display a splash-screen without a login screen. At this point a user is logged in anonymously and can perform whatever actions are defined for the anonymous account. The privileges of an anonymous user will be installation specific depending on how administrators define the privileges. Once the desktop client starts, the user can then log into a Medici server. This feature will require:

Backend:
1) On the backend there is a single anonymous account, which the user will automatically be authenticated as if they do not provide any credentials

Desktop Client:
1) Remove login from splash-screen
2) Provide login dialog box inside application
3) Add welcome screen with information about logging into a Medici server

Desktop client (Advanced, possibly not a 1.2 feature)
4) A user that has logged in once should not always have to use the login screen. We should offer to (optionally) save U/P and log in automatically.