New Windows virtual desktops tool from Microsoft

[Rys]

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/cc817881.aspx

It's from the Sysinternals dudes. Honestly, lack of a good virtual desktops implementation is one of the reasons I haven't used Windows as my primary OS for over a year now.

This won't make me switch back in a hurry, but it seems to be a nice free implementation of something that's been missing from Windows for years.

 

[Davros]

There used to be a few of these back in the win98 days, then they just seemed to dissapear

 

[chavvdarrr]

why bother with desktops?! I usually use all windows maximized except calc and things that are in front just for a simple task (like an english dictionary )
I see just one reason - if possible to play full-screen game in one (King's Bounty - The Legends atm) and fast error-free switch to another "office" productivity one.

 

[3dcgi]

I hadn't heard about this one, but the performance of the Windows powertoy that enables virtual desktops sucks. I've had good luck with VirtuaWin. It's free and open source.

chavvdarrr, I also keep most windows full screen and I like having virtual desktops. If you have a lot of apps open it's easy for the task bar to get cluttered with the icons of open programs. By separating these into virtual desktops you'll only see the programs that are relevant to the current task.

If you switch between multiple projects during the day this can be a useful way to work.

 

[Skrying]

How would this work with a mutlimonitor setup? I have my 22" plugged into my laptop most of the time these days and I would love for a entirely different desktop to be on the 22" separate from the laptop's screen. Would this make such possible? If not, any application or tool that could?

 

[3dcgi]

Skyring, a virtual desktop program like VirtuaWin won't do what you want as both monitors are considered to be one desktop.

Check out UltraMon. It costs money, but you'll like the SmartTaskbar feature.

A free program that works, but isn't as good is MultiMonitor TaskBar. Actually, it looks like there's now a pay version as well.

 

[Skrying]

Thanks 3dcgi, I had actually been considering UltraMon as I've heard of it in the past but I'm just checking my options a bit right now before I jump into the purchase.

 

[Jawed]

I use Hydravision's Multi Desktop:

http://ati.amd.com/products/hydravision/faq.html

so have 2 desktops, which I switch using the Scroll Lock key.

Jawed

 

[suryad]

Hey nice find. One thing I am not sure if this utitlity includes is the ability to move the current windows to other desktops. Like if I have 10 windows open in 1 desktop right now, I can say move window 1 to desktop 2 and move windows 2 and 3 to desktop 3 etc etc. However it is definitely a lot better than the Powertoy MS had released. Wow was that glitchy. I would have rather they not released that at all!

 

[Jawed]

Drag and drop Windows to Tabs in the multidesktop utility. Or there's a menu that can be attached to each window that allows this - I think.

Honestly, it's easier just to try it.

Thing that I dislike about it is that it re-orders taskbar items, when you switch to a desktop - the items are listed left-right, most-recently used at left. This is a bit annoying if there's 15 or 20 items and you're used to flicking between 3 or 4 windows based on their positions in the taskbar - I don't like to use taskbar grouping. So the positions end up completely different.

Jawed

 

[Tim Murray]

is this actual multiple desktops, or is it minimizing and restoring certain sets of windows according to what desktop you're on?

 

[Jawed]

Each desktop has an independent set of windows - so the taskbar is uniquely populated depending on which desktop you're on.

But things like WMP in taskbar miniplayer mode will appear in all the taskbars.

Jawed

 

[Rodéric]

yessssssssssssssssssssss
Free Multi Desktop AT LAST !
(Hell BeOS have had this feature for more than ten years already !)

 

[caveman-jim]

I've use the ATi Hydravision on and off for a few years, its not bad. The Vista Desktop Manager is a little buggy, but works ok and lets you set different backdrops and switch between desktops via hotkeys/send windows to other desktop via hotkeys.

Thanks for the share

 

[3dcgi]

is this actual multiple desktops, or is it minimizing and restoring certain sets of windows according to what desktop you're on?

I haven't tried this new app yet, but all of the Windows virtual desktop programs I've tried hide the windows. It's more than just minimizing. There's not really a second desktop and not quite as fast as Linux. This includes the Power Toy, Hydravision, and VirtuaWin.

 

[Sc4freak]

This new app appears to actually initialise multiple shells and dynamically switches between them. It doesn't hide windows, it spawns multiple instances of explorer.exe.

It seems to interact badly with Vista Aero, though, as the other desktops are stuck with the basic theme.

 

[Tokelil]

To throw in another free (for private users) multidesktop program for Windows, which works quite well in my experience:
http://www.dexpot.de/index.php?lang=en

I wonder how they all compare in how they internally work. I have only tried Dexpot and as said it works rather well but I don't think it runs multiple shells.