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Manage Multiple Desktops with Spaces
Posted by Adam Pash at 7:00 AM on October 27, 2007
Virtual desktops have been popular amongst geeks for years, but they're just starting to catch on with the consumer desktop crowd; in Leopard, Spaces be thy name. Previously Mac users had an incredible virtual desktop application called Virtue Desktops as their desktop management option, but with the announcement of Spaces, development on Virtue Desktops was dropped. I'm a huge fan of Virtue Desktops, so in my eyes, Spaces has some pretty big shoes to fill. So how does Spaces stand up?
First of all, here's Virtue Desktops running in Mac OS X 10.4 with Parallels:
Pretty cool, right? So what's Spaces got to offer?
As it turns out, plenty. While I'll miss the cube animation available in Virtue desktops—which I've always felt makes the idea of multiple desktops much more intuitive (and is why Compiz is so great on Linux)—Apple has put a lot of effort into making Spaces intuitive in its own right. Using user-definable keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl + arrow keys or Space number by default), you can jump around within a grid of virtual desktops. Press F8 to bring up your grid in an Exposé-like view, from which you can drag and drop windows to and from any Space. Click a space or use your direction keys and hit Enter to go to a specific Space.
Switching between Spaces is quick, and doing so animates windows out of the way with a swipe in the direction you left from, helping you visualise where you are in the grid so you keep track of how to get back where you came from (again, it makes it more intuitive).
Spaces also comes with several worthwhile settings like application assignments which let you set specific desktop for an application to open in (a feature that was also available in Virtue Desktops). Spaces one-ups Virtues by offering an "Every Space" option which makes an application persistent across all Spaces, meaning it never leaves your screen, even when switching Spaces. Switching to an application on another desktop (either via mouse or Command-Tab) will automatically whisk you away to that desktop. You can also adjust how many Spaces you'd like to use, maxing out at 16 Spaces in a 4x4 grid.
If you're a virtual desktop nut, Spaces shouldn't leave you disappointed.
Tags: ical | leopard | mac | mac osx leopard | mail.app | osx | spaces | top | virtual desktops
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
stef
Posted October 31, 2007 8:33 PM
I miss the "send to desktop" feature, like
gnome and kde have
daftrok
Posted 5:32 PM 26/10/07
I wouldn't personally see a need for this, but from a professional stand point this would be quite useful. I doubt the average consumer has anything more than Safari, iTunes and iChat while working on a paper at the same time.
daftrok
Grungydan
Posted 5:29 PM 26/10/07
Multi-monitor setups > virtual desktops any day.
Grungydan
corndog8
Posted 6:28 PM 26/10/07
I've used this cutting edge feature as a free Windows 95 PowerToy (yes Windows 95), and several times after that in both Windows and Linux.
Each time I had the same feeling: This is neat, but in no way makes anyone more productive. It is inferior to a quality task manager. And I know a lot about having a ton of windows open, as at this point the only way I can develop is on my 5 monitor Digital Tigers setup.
Bottom line is this feature is so weak that for nearly a decade Microsoft has chosen to only release it as a PowerToy.
Of course, nifty, useless, pretty tools that don't make you productive are what Mac users love most.
corndog8
Devon
Posted 6:01 PM 26/10/07
Spaces isn't about securing one Space from another, so it wouldn't take the place of multiple users.
And honestly, while it's nice if you have a small display, it's not really about screen real estate either. Multi monitors are great for that, no question.
It's about separate working contexts and being to move between them with ease. It's about having the document you're working on and the related source material open in one Space, Eclipse IDE + terminal + Safari window for building and testing a web application open in one Space, iPhoto for the latest vacation book you're making open in another Space, and your communication tools/time wasters (chat, mail, youtube, slashdot, etc..) open in another Space.
It's a way of seperating out your working contexts, like GTD contexts in a way, to keep distractions and window clutter to a minimum while you're working on a specific task.
Devon
iwitness
Posted 5:53 PM 26/10/07
I would have to agree with the multi-monitor aspect, however on my MacBook Pro I use multiple logins to achieve the same thing, so maybe i will just have to run down the shop and see what Leopard really has to offer.
The advantage of multi users is the security and so i doubt if Spaces has any facility to allow independent profiles, i will see.
iwitness
saych
Posted 5:49 PM 26/10/07
tried it several times at certain points in my life. thought it'd be cool, but they aren't really necessary.
saych
Ben Zvan
Posted 5:44 PM 26/10/07
But Multi-monitor setups + virtual desktops > multi-monitor setups or virtual desktops.
Ben Zvan
Adam Pash, LH Senior Editor
Posted 6:35 PM 26/10/07
@corndog8: Like I said, virtual desktops aren't new—not new to Macs, Windows, or Linux. And while they may not make you more productive, they're must-haves for a lot of people—especially when all you can manage/afford/whatever is one monitor.
Also, Spaces is an optional feature. You can enable/disable it in the preferences.
Adam Pash, LH Senior Editor
NineTailedFox
Posted 10:09 PM 26/10/07
GrungyDan, as Ben said, both are vastly better than either. Besides, virtual desktops are rather more portable.
It's one of those features it's hard to see a use for unless you have one yourself, I guess, in which case it's indispensable. And it is, for a lot of people.
NineTailedFox
Donathius
Posted 9:58 PM 26/10/07
I've been doing some video editing on my Leopard setup and I've already found a nice use for it. Letting Final Cut Pro start rendering out my huge video (gonna take almost an hour) and then I switched over to another virtual desktop to open a browser and see what people are saying about Leopard as I don't really feel like staring at that progress bar. Instead I have a nice clean desktop - oh and I have a multi-monitor setup, works great.
Donathius
jtimberman
Posted 9:55 PM 26/10/07
I think there was a poll on the ubuntu forums about what people use the separate workspaces for. I answered there, but I'll repost my answer here as well.
Note that I use Linux, not MacOS.
1 - Web browser and associated programs (password manager, last.fm player, pdf viewer, etc).
2 - Terminals. Usually 3-4 tabbed gnome-terminals.
3 - Collaboration apps (IM, IRC, open office).
4 - Thunderbird.
I've been using Linux with 4 virtual desktops for over 10 years now. The best is having a dual monitor setup, but I can do without if necessary. Such as right now where I don't have a second monitor at work.
As for "5 monitors is the only way" - that is preposterous. Sounds like someone is spoiled rotten by over budgeting computer hardware. Most productive developers I know are far more productive having 5 systems to work on (or one beefy system with virtual machines) rather than 5 monitors.
jtimberman
foolish-rain
Posted 9:49 PM 26/10/07
@corndog8 ...at this point the only way I can develop is on my 5 monitor Digital Tigers setup.
Why, back in my day we programmed with a used envelope and a slide ruler. Well, maybe not. But FIVE monitors? The ONLY WAY? I'll bet the bean counters at your company love you.
I'm doing a lot of technical/science writing these days; I find a virtual desktops invaluable (writing space, figure/diagram space, research space and email/IM space). Of course as a freelancer, my boss is too cheap to buy me multiple monitors...
foolish-rain
edythemighty
Posted 11:43 PM 26/10/07
@corndog8: 5 monitors huh? And those of us who have to make due with just one monitor? And how do you haul around 5 monitors?
edythemighty
Adam Pash, LH Senior Editor
Posted 2:56 PM 27/10/07
@mr_oshodi: Leopard was just released, which is why you're seeing the extra coverage. We did the same thing with the Vista release.
Adam Pash, LH Senior Editor