Author Topic: Multiple desktops (Read 20078 times)

m_s · « **on:** February 10, 2006, 07:39 AM »

Could I get some opinions from people on the best multiple desktop programs? I have a nVidia graphics card on my one machine, and that has built in multiple desktop support, but I also really like Dexpot, which allows me to do some things I can't do from the nVidia manager (mainly an option to have different icon configuration per desktop). Dextop is a bit heavy on memory, though (22mb working set, 100mb virtual), and I don't know (because it doesn't show up on Process Explorer) if nVidia uses less - anybody know? And is there another, lighter option that would allow me to have different (or no) icons on different desktops?

rjbull · « **Reply #1 on:** February 10, 2006, 08:05 AM »

PowerPro has multiple desktops, and is supposed to run light - if you can figure out PowerPro...

PowerPro, freeware macro program for Windows
http://powerpro.webeddie.com/index.html

PC Rangers third-party PowerPro support
http://powerpro.pcrei.com
Contains archives of the user groups, the "Wink" based Flash demos, etc.

Beginners user group / mailing list:
http://groups.yahoo..../powerpro-beginners/

mouser · « **Reply #2 on:** February 10, 2006, 08:10 AM »

see these other posts too:
https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=2365.0
https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=2405.0
https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=1207.0

and also:
ultramon: http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/

m_s · « **Reply #3 on:** February 10, 2006, 09:43 AM »

I think all your offerings are for multiple monitors, Mouser, rather than multiple desktops - I only have one monitor, but want to be able to run different programs in different desktop environments. For instance, I would like to have my 30boxes calendar always open on a second desktop for easy reference...

mouser · « **Reply #4 on:** February 10, 2006, 09:51 AM »

ohhh

here's a free one i liked, virtuawin: http://virtuawin.sourceforge.net/
with fun icons for displaying the current desktop: http://virtuawin.sourceforge.net/

i assigned alt+1 through alt+9 to nine different desktops - worked great.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #5 on:** February 10, 2006, 10:09 AM »

DM2 from http://dm2.sourceforge.net/ has multiple desktop support as well as a lot of nice additional features and plugins.

Edvard · « **Reply #6 on:** February 10, 2006, 01:15 PM »

Hmm... Well, as much as I love PowerPro, I also love Virtual Desktop programs but I don't really like PP's virtual desktop support as there is no visual representation (also known as a Pager in *nix land...) which is why i'm also not into VirtuaWin. Below are the ones I have tested...

Wiki page about Virtual Desktops
http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Virtual_desktop
Informative and has links to some shareware VD apps.

XDesk's Virtual Desktop Info page
http://www.xdesksoftware.com/vdesk.html
How nice of them to explain the topic as well as provide links to their competitors.
XDesk itself looks nice, and comes with an applauncher as well.

JS Pager (Free)
http://www.skinnable..._dir=archive/jspager
The one I use. Stable, fast, configurable, and (unlike many skinnables) easily skinnable.

VERN (Shareware)
http://www.oneguycoding.com/vern/
LOTS of options. Almost too many (like my other favorite...

) but looking very promising. Even works across multiple monitors. Cool.

Semik's Desktop (Free & Open Source)
http://www.tomasek.cz/stary_soft/sdesk/
Stable, small and simple.

Desktop Manager (Free)
http://www3.nf.sympa...co.ca/byronm/dm.html
Actually a Shell/Launcher/VirtualDesktop thingamabob that I found a bit confusing, but someone may like it...

Dexpot (Free)
http://www.dexpot.de/en/index2.html
Looks nice and full-featured while remaining small and easily configured.

Virtual Dimension (Free & Open Source)
http://virt-dimension.sourceforge.net/
Yet another... This one is nice in that it has visuals, but they are simply mini-icons in the pager windows rather than miniature representations of the windows on each desktop (the most common...) and you can switch to any window on any desk by hitting the icon.

Other Options...

MS has a Virtual Desktop Powertoy. Most alternative shells like Litestep, BlackBox 4 Windows, Geoshell, etc. have a Virtual Desktop plugin/module. PowerPro can manage quite a few desktops and access them with buttons, hotkeys, scripts, etc. There's a lot more to say, just Google for "virtual desktop" "virtual window", you get the idea.

m_s · « **Reply #7 on:** February 10, 2006, 01:54 PM »

Thanks, Edvard: I will check out the links you provide. I should say that I have just looked at Dexpot's current memory usage, and it's less than 4mb, so that's seeming very good right now. It's highly configurable and does exactly what I want, so I might end up sticking with it - and I recommend others take a look also. I tried VirtuaWin, but agree with Edvard's comment.

Edvard · « **Reply #8 on:** February 10, 2006, 02:25 PM »

I had looked at Dexpot also, (I'll update my links in the previous post) looked very nice and promising but IIRC, it did not run on my system, I'll try it again, maybe I'm missing something...
I don't know about anybody else, but since using Linux, I have found virtual desktops to be essential.

mouser · « **Reply #9 on:** February 10, 2006, 02:30 PM »

do i sense someone volunteering to do a full review of virtual desktop tools.. got some donated copies of virtual pc to give away in the mail today..

m_s · « **Reply #10 on:** February 10, 2006, 02:52 PM »

(Neatly side-stepping Mouser)

I think it was likewise my experience of Linux that first introduced me to the idea, Edvard. Or maybe it was the MS PowerToy...

I think, for the money (it's free), Dexpot seems to be the best of those suggested so far. There is a Pro version available for 8Euros, but I can't figure out what the difference is...

Edvard · « **Reply #11 on:** February 10, 2006, 03:00 PM »

OK, ok, I'll do it. But I am stuck on NT4 and some nifty ones coming out don't run there... I may need assistance. MS Powertoys VDM and DM2 are two examples. But... onward.

(PS- I'm not into virtual pc stuff, so save that one for another deserving soul and we'll talk about a consolation prize

)

I'll cross-post over to Mini-Reviews and expand on each one.
Stay tuned!

jgpaiva · « **Reply #12 on:** February 10, 2006, 04:10 PM »

Edvard, thanks for the links.
I was a bb4win user, and like the linux version, bb4win had multiple virtual desktops, and they worked awsomelly.
Since i left bb4win, i never more found another virtual desktops program that worked so well.
I tried every app on the wikipedia site, and found that none did what i was looking for. Some used too much ram, others had a hole lot of features that i simply didn't need, others didn't have configurable hotkeys, other didn't have hotkeys at all, it just drove me mad.
But now, mouser posted a great link! Virtuawin has a function that is not easy to find in this kind of programs: it has an hotkey to change a window from one desktop to the next. This is one of the features i need the most, since i use the keyboard a lot, and don't like very much using the mouse to send one window to another desktop.
For me, it has only one problem: you can't assign any key to do that function. But that's a problem that ahk solves very well

Edvard · « **Reply #13 on:** February 10, 2006, 04:22 PM »

Actually, many of the VDM's listed have quite good hotkey support and they are assignable. I believe VERN has hotkeys for sending windows to other desks, and most all of them have the option to hide the Pager. VirtuaWin seems to be popular with quite a few folks who could care less about the eye candy and just want stuff out of the way. Bosskey does this as well. Reviews in progress...

jgpaiva · « **Reply #14 on:** February 10, 2006, 04:27 PM »

I know edvard, and believe me, i've tried them, but i found none that had the hotkey to move the active window to the next vd, a feature that i need very much.

Edvard · « **Reply #15 on:** February 10, 2006, 04:46 PM »

oop, Virtual Dimension does, check it out.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #16 on:** February 10, 2006, 05:26 PM »

Another I have used (not free though) is http://www.desktopplus.com/ which has lots of nice features but hasn't been updated for about 18 months now.

jgpaiva · « **Reply #17 on:** February 10, 2006, 05:43 PM »

oop, Virtual Dimension does, check it out.
-Edvard (February 10, 2006, 04:46 PM)

Thanks! I love that one!
It's even better then VirtualWin

I look forward to reading that review

nontroppo · « **Reply #18 on:** February 10, 2006, 06:35 PM »

Damn, Vern is excellent, but sadly it has a bug in virtual desktops on my Matrox two-monitor setup (though it is supposed to support multi-monitor). A real shame as otherwise it seems excellent! Any other virtual desktops working on multi-moitor setups?

Edvard · « **Reply #19 on:** February 16, 2006, 05:15 PM »

Mini-Review done. Come 'n get it!