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Virtual Desktops... You NEED them...

mnkeybsness

mnkeybsness

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jun 25, 2001
2,511
0
Moneyapolis, Minnesota
Okay guys: this is going to be my little software plug for Desktop Manager...

I first started using Codetek's Virtual Desktop program about a year ago when I started a CSCI class and saw that Linux natively supported virtual desktops. It made me want my own. I used just one extra desktop for the longest time, not wanting to pay for the full version of the program.

Then, about September, I stumbled upon Desktop Manager. At that time, it did what I wanted and was free, so I continued using it and following the very rare updates.

Now, Desktop Manager is on it's way to becoming an amazing little application. The wow factor really comes from being able to use the different OS X Quartz Extreme transitions when switching between desktops:
DMCube2_thumb_s.png

Desktop Manager is also lightweight, can use Codetek's Virtual Desktop pager skins, and FREE!

Did I mention that it's FREE?

ps- I am in no way affiliated with the program or the program's designer... just very very excited about it.
 
That looks awsome, thanks for the heads up on this!
I used to use Codeteks Virtual Desktop, and it was pretty good, but this looks great! :D
 
Looks like a nice program. But doesn't Panther already have that? Can't you have one user named "Internet Surfing" and another called "Music Creation" and just switch between the two using fast user switching?
 
Why have multiple user accounts - this is good stuff - my only question is how stable is it? Are there any compatibility problems with an other apps?

D
 
Well thye say it's still in Alpha, so it's very early days yet, not sure how stable it will be, but it does look very good and should be very good by the time it hits v1.0 :D
 
Originally posted by DavidLeblond
Looks like a nice program. But doesn't Panther already have that? Can't you have one user named "Internet Surfing" and another called "Music Creation" and just switch between the two using fast user switching?
Click to expand...

multiple user accounts as virtual desktop would be a nightmare for sharing files. files created/saved under one account won't generally be accessible by other accounts...
 
Being a migrant from Linux, I've always found virtual desktops to be very useful (even found some hacks for Windows to enable them). I find it easier to subdivide my work - e-mail and Web on one desktop, graphics (Photoshop, or the GIMP) on another, etc.

Expose is nice, but I still prefer having multiple desktops. Hopefully Apple will incorporate them sometime. Certainly most other Unix/Linux/BSD window managers have them.
 
this program is truley amazing. especially the effects going from one desktop to another. and to ansewr the above posters question about fast-user switching.....that is much slower and probably takes up more space. here you can do so many more things, with COOL effects, and its all free. one cool request would be to have different desktop images allowed on different desktops, but for some reason i dont think this is possible. anyways, what an awesome program!
 
i'm actually surprised at the stability of the program. i recommend it to everyone i know.

i do believe that the multiple desktop picture functionality is being worked on.

and as for using multiple accounts for virtual desktops? that's crazy because programs can't run cross-users and network connections get killed when you switch accounts.

my only quarrel is that applications still remain in the dock at all times... i wish there was a way to get them to be desktop specific docks...
 
Originally posted by Westside guy
Being a migrant from Linux, I've always found virtual desktops to be very useful (even found some hacks for Windows to enable them).
Click to expand...

virtual desktops are no problem for windows xp but it has to be downloaded here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

yeah virtual desktops are really useful (using linux at the moment) after a while you nearly can't live without them
 
One eye-candy feature I miss from my Linux days: Enlightenment's desktop pager (and the old Gnome desktop pager) had little desktop displays that were basically screenshots of each desktop. It was fast too - redraws seemed at least as fast as this program or Codetek's VD.

Much nicer than little boxes with icons on them - and if you have multiple windows from the same app, it's a better representation of your desktop.

I know, I know... I don't NEED this. Codetek has even explained why it probably will never be implemented. But it's a cool feature, and OS X is all about cool, right? :D
 
I would bet this feature might be in 10.4. It would be easy for Apple to do since they've already introduced fast user switching. This is just a variation of that.
 
Coming from a unix environment, I've been waiting for something like this for a while now. I installed it and it seems to run quite nicely....

Is there anyway to change the prefs, names of the different windows, # of windows and position?

D
 
the menu was turned on by default for me up in the right side of the menubar... if it isn't, click the little blue color spot on the pager at the middle-bottom to bring up the prefs.
 
Originally posted by mnkeybsness
the menu was turned on by default for me up in the right side of the menubar... if it isn't, click the little blue color spot on the pager at the middle-bottom to bring up the prefs.
Click to expand...

ah - tricky since i have a pop up dock at the bottom of the screen :D

Thanks! This thing is great if you only have one monitor!

Got Lightwave (animation app) in one window and the LW Modeler in another. Photoshop in the 3rd and safari in the 4th.

Friggin great!!!

D
 
Originally posted by DavidLeblond
But doesn't Panther already have that? Can't you have one user named "Internet Surfing" and another called "Music Creation" and just switch between the two using fast user switching?
Click to expand...

Yea, but with Desktop Manager you can use the edges of the screen to switch desktops...very intuitive and cool :D

And they say they're working on being able to drag things from one desktop to another :D
 
Works great on my PBook 12" 1GHz, not so much on my G5, if I stay in the preferences too long it just quits, no message no nothing :( Anyone else having this? If I dont change prefs it seems ok...

macboyX
 
mnkeybsness, thanks for the hint! I really like it! It's a wonderful little app -- tried it out with Logic, and it's really nice to have the arrangement window on one desktop, then move over to the mixer window on the other desktop. Sweet :)

Now if there were a way to set a different desktop picture for each virtual desktop... that would help me to orientate myself :).
 
Originally posted by crenz
Now if there were a way to set a different desktop picture for each virtual desktop... that would help me to orientate myself :).
Click to expand...

That would be too cool :cool:
 
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