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Desktop state snapshot & recall software

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kartal:
Do you know any multi desktop software that can save open apps and their states?

Other than a hardcore virtualization approach... only simplistic solutions spring to mind

Use a multi-desktop software.

or

Create multiple logins and switch users?

Edit: Just tried Groupbar, it remembers the apps and their positions (I had KMPlayer and Firefox running but it didn't show me those in the list of apps I could add to the snapshot). It doesn't remember the program state.
-nosh (June 02, 2008, 02:12 PM)
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steeladept:
I would strongly suggest the Virtualization route.  There are many good free desktop virtualization programs out there, including VMWare Player (need a VM already created though), Microsoft VirtualPC, VirtualBox, and XenDesktop (though I never used this last one personally).  My personal suggestion is Microsoft VirtualPC (believe it or not) as it seems to have the most features and is reasonably lightweight (comparatively).  Now if you are willing to spend the money, VMWare Workstation beats them all hands down, but it is ~$200 USD in the U.S. for the Windows version.

Just a note of warning though - While this class of virtualization software is useful, especially for sandboxing and doing state snapshot & recall; as a class, they are very resource hungry.  You are running a complete OS inside your current OS!  You need to have enough disk space and Nemory to run ALL VM's w/ running programs IN ADDITION TO THE UNDERLYING OS.  In my experience using VMWare Workstation, a 2.2GHz Intel processor (single core) w/ 3GB of DDR2 memory and 100GB disk space running on an XP Pro SP2 machine w/ typical business setup (e.g. NortonAV & Intel Landesk running on it), could barely handle running 3 linux virtual machines at the same time (Ubuntu, Kbuntu, & Xbuntu, version 6, were my test machines at the time).  Any more than one machine running in a VM was horribly slow on this system and completely unusable in a business environment (though perfect for my playing around).  Memory was generally the constraint if you are curious.  However, with the knowledge of these caveats, I feel this would be an ideal use of this technology.

justice:
Yes i've come to the conclusion that unless you're willing to make serious sacrifices (virtual pc etc)only the easier half of my question is possible just now until there's better support from software/ hardware vendors. Hibernation per program would be ace but I don't see it happening (yet)

steeladept:
I've never looked into it much, but perhaps that is possible with Application Virtualization?  There are a few supposedly good ones out there, though the only one I know of that is free is Altiris SVS. There may be others. This comparison of three leaders in the field may help.  I didn't read it, but it gives you an idea of their capabilities, I am sure.

Application Virtualization Comparison PDF.

EDIT = I just went looking for Altiris SVS Personal edition and found Symantec owns them and doesn't make it easy to find the link.  I am posting it here for you: http://www.altiris.com/Download/svsPersonal.aspx

nosh:
Do you know any multi desktop software that can save open apps and their states?
-kartal (June 02, 2008, 03:14 PM)
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Nope, we're not just talking about ordinary documents like word/excel files here - there could be a media manager or IDE running with ten integrated windows & as many controls, each of them in a different state. The only way out AFAICT is some low level virtualization app.

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