Different styles to use desktop environments

[jis]

I am interested in how people use their desktop environments. Do you utilize many workspaces and screens? Do you use many windows visible at once in a screen? Why you use it like that? Personally I tend to use just one application visible at once and I usually use just one screen and one workspace.

[jamesisin]

I have my browser (Opera) maximized on one desktop.

I have a desktop for RDP which may have more than one open but only one visible at a time (others minimized to the panel).

I have a communications desktop with Trillian, Skype, and Thunderbird open. It may have several chat windows scattered around. Thunderbird is usually rolled-up at the top.

Then I have a fourth desktop which is accessible at all times and which is where any work which does not involve the other three gets done.

On average my answer to your poll would be 1 but I wasn't sure if that was strictly accurate so I have not as yet voted.

[jis]

On average my answer to your poll would be 1 but I wasn't sure if that was strictly accurate so I have not as yet voted.

You can use the number of entirely visible windows you have on a workspace screen in which you have most entirely visible windows. My point is to find out how common is it that people share screen space for two or more windows. I think it is rarely necessary to see many windows at a time.

[jamesisin]

Well, that's exactly my point. I agree that most of the time it is only necessary to have one window visible. That is how I function on at least two of my desktops.

Cutting and pasting operations ocassionally are aided by having two windows side-by-side, but on my communcations desktop I might have three different chat windows and a couple of Skype windows all scattered about (assuming I'm actually talking with anyone).

In short, most of the time I spend on a computer (and I have several set up in this manner including a Mac and a few Windows machines) I am running with one application maximized on any given desktop. Though it is possible that, given the correct situation, I could have many viable windows in front of me on a given desktop.

[jis]

Gimp doesn't encourage you to maximize the main window (if you use just one screen) since you can't minimize Toolbox and Layers etc. windows.

[jamesisin]

Yeah, I was noticing that the last time I used it. Not much different from PS I suppose (more so on the Mac).