Day 3: Spaces
I was not a fan of virtual desktops. I found it eye-candy. But then I realized that, as I became more and more impatient of application load times and memory became cheaper and cheaper, I would end up with more than a handful of applications open. Normally I would have the following open: iTunes (to like to listen to music), Skype, Adium, Yojimbo, Lightroom, EyeTV (sometimes I want to see what’s on the tube), a browser (Firefox, Safari, Camino, or sometimes all three), Skitch, Thunderbird. I know Expose can help me locate the application, but I am now at a phase where I want the see less clutter and less distraction.
Enter Spaces.
Spaces allows you to assign specific applications to virtual desktops. I have, for example, assigned all chat clients into one space. Adobe Lightroom has its own space. I also like to write with little distraction so Pages has its own space. All it takes then is to use Ctrl+arrow keys to cycle between all the spaces. There is practically no wait time—the spaces display themselves instantaneously.
Actually, the term “Spaces” is the best way to describe this new Leopard feature. It appears that you have a huge monitor and you have just configured your computer to display a part of it. In my setup (which is displayed above), I have four “spaces”—so I can best describe my setup as having a “virtual monitor” that is four-times my current monitor and I am just displaying one-fourth of this “virtual monitor.” Using the Ctrl+left arrow, I can see what’s on the “left” of my “virtual monitor.” Using the Ctrl+down arrow, I can see what’s “below” my “virtual monitor.”
Now, some people (like the ones in Gizmodo) are comparing Spaces with Expose. I believe that both serve a different purpose. Expose is about locating what application you have open. Spaces is about reducing clutter and distraction. I know that one can simply minimize the applications to reduce what is being displayed on-screen, but Spaces reduces clutter far more efficiently.
November 06 2007 06:56 am | OS
November 8th, 2007 at 12:01 am
I am glad I stumbled upon your blog. I have Leopard in my hand and am waiting another week to install. I have only had a Mac for about two months.