How are you supposed to use extra desktops?

MikeHawthorne · 14 Oct 2014

Hi

I don't quite get the add desktops thing.

I open the desktop and add another one, then what.

If I put different Icons on it does it persist indefinitely so two different used could have different desktops?

If it's going to do that it seems like it should be tied into the boot log in, so the desktop that is keyed to the user should come up and not be available to the other users.

I just need someone to explain what it's for, I just don't see how I would use it.

Mike

lehnerus2000 · 15 Oct 2014

Has there been any info from MS about it or are they using their SOP?

jimbo45 · 15 Oct 2014

Hi there

There's loads of uses for Virtual Desktops (ifit were implemented properly).

I'm not sure how it actually works but if it works like LINUX you can have a totally different set of programs / backgrounds etc on EACH desktop - so if one desktop has too many windows you can open another desktop up and have more windows.

If you say work as a developer and you have access to a number of SAP (ERP type of application ) systems say for a number of different clients - and usually there's always a minimum of 3 - TEST/DEV / QA /PROD per client you could have a lot of windows concurrently open - so by switching desktops it's easier to manage. These sort of programs don't use many resources on YOUR machine (SAP etc does all the DB calls / queries etc on the backend remote servers).

You could aslo want debugging windows open and all sorts of things.

I can see loads of uses for multiple desktops. I think Ms hasn't implemented it properly yet but I'm sure it will be improved/

Cheers
jimbo

Rickkins · 15 Oct 2014

I'm guessing there are very few people who have an actual need for this, er, feature.

Tony K · 15 Oct 2014

I can see a use for this feature as Jim explained, but would be a lot better if a desktop configuration could be saved for future use. Two or three for work, one for play, etc.

jimbo45 · 15 Oct 2014

Rickkins said:

I'm guessing there are very few people who have an actual need for this, er, feature.

Hi there

There's always a difference between "Actual Need" and "nice to have". I'm sure if I could only have what I REALLY NEED instead of what is "Nice to have" - I might have a cheaper but not necessarily simpler life.

I could for instance quite easily do without a Smartphone - I don't Actually Need it - but it sure makes life a lot easier - especially when you travel a lot. (Note I didn't say a Mobile phone - just a Smartphone).

I don't actually need a TV either - probably that's the one piece of modern equipment I might junk anyway -- nothing but dumbed down reality junk on it or poor politicians sprouting off sheer nonsense - but I still have one.

It's funny how often when at work the I.T dept are always saying do you REALLY NEED feature X -- well usually I don't NEED it but as a user it's NICE TO HAVE.

Cheers
jimbo

Mystere · 15 Oct 2014

My guess is this is not feature complete yet. I'm hoping newer builds will add more functionality, such as persistent, separately configured desktops (ie each has their own sets of icons, backgrounds, etc... plus it persists from boot to boot and it's defined from user to user.)

As it is now, it's nice, but the fact it doesn't persist is a bit annoying.

It's not so much about icons though, it's about open applications. You have your applications laid out in the screen and you can move from one screen to another and they stay open on that screen. Just like if you laid out all your tax documents on one physical desk, then laid out all your drawing documents out on another physical desk. You can move from one desk to another when you want to work on that specific "task".

MikeHawthorne · 15 Oct 2014

Hi

I just seems that unless you can save the configuration it's kind of useless.

I could see that someone, (not me) might have the need to have different desktop layouts, but I guess if you have a dozen applications open it might be easier to spread them across multiple desktops.

It seems like it's so easy to cycle through open applications the way it works on one desktop.
But I never have more then 3 or 4 things running at one time.

Mike

OK, I just tested.

This only works for open applications.

I made 3 desktops, on one I put a folder, one I put a shortcut to Photoshop, and on one I put an open application.

The folder and shortcut showed on all of the desktops, the application only showed on the one I created it on.

So this isn't about setting up custom desktops for different functions or anything like that.

It's just for displaying multiple open applications on separate desktops.

Since I can open multiple applications on one desktop, and cycle through them using Task View I'm not sure how this helps.

badrobot · 15 Oct 2014

I think virtual desktop is simply like a virtual multiple monitor setup just so you can keep programs running on full screen view rather than minimizing them when you need to switch windows. So for me, it's kind of useless. I barely use my 4th monitor.

Mystere · 15 Oct 2014

Search through Youtube on Multiple Desktops and watch some of the videos for Linux and MacOS about them showing off the multiple desktop features. That might give you an idea of how other people use those features.

Again, my guess is that more features will be added to this as the beta moves along.