On Jan 26, 2008 11:11 AM, Brendan G moldybeats@gmail.com wrote:
That makes a lot of sense, actually. I guess I don't really think about my desktop in terms of workflows. I usually have windows that are relevant to the task at hand, and a few others (music player, for example). Maybe if I did more multitasking, the virtual desktop idea would make more sense to me. This discussion has made me want to give it another go....
It took me a while to get the idea in my head. I was used to minimizing programs when not in use, as I'd been doing that since the late '80s on Amigas where I learned about real multitasking before I got in to UNIX-like systems with even better MT, back when screen real estate mattered even more. I don't remember exactly when I broke from a single desktop setup to using virtual desktops but it is a definite change of pace. It probably really started when I was getting used to multiple VTs on older systems that didn't run a GUI nicely back in the day. Those were PC systems running NetBSD. It's still surprising how advanced the Amiga was (feature wise) when compared to PCs and how long they took to catch up, even just in 32-bit preemptive multitasking and reentrant kernels... I was really happy when Apple put Spaces into 10.5. That made my old G4 mini feel like a much better machine.
Jon.