Do you use the workspace switcher??

[laxmanb]

It's a nifty cube effect with Beryl/Compiz when you switch between desktops which is the only reason I ever switch between them - Do you use the Workspace Switcher for doing anything productive??

[LaRoza]

It is a great feature which reduces desktop clutter. It is very useful when doing programming or working on research, or testing something.

In GNOME, there is not effect when switching, but with Compiz and Beryl, it is slightly easier to switch and see what is where. All you have to do is middle click and drag, among other methods.

[WalmartSniperLX]

I do time to time but I used ctrl+alt+aroow key instead of the icons because I like to free as much room on my taskbars.

[ThinkBuntu]

I keep the applet around so I know which desktop I'm on, and I don't use the cube. But for me, workspaces are one of the best features in desktop Linux, and they significantly increase my productivity. In short, hell yeah!

[v8YKxgHe]

I don't use the panel applet, but instead all I do is put my cursor on the desktop and scroll my mouse wheel and it spins! Very very very handy feature and speeds up my workflow!

[Cheese Sandwich]

I formerly used Solaris here at work, now I use Red Hat (w/ gnome), and I've used workspace switching on both.

I find workspace switching absolutely essential, as I'm often juggling several tasks (each requiring several shells & editor windows), in their own shell environments (for example, pointing to different builds of our software product - I'm a software engineer).

I have six different workspaces available, & I'm usually to some degree using at least three of them. I'd never be able to keep everything straight on a single workspace.

[crane]

I use it as well but also just use ctrl>alt>arrow. I think the Desktop effects a neat but to me it is not useful enough to run beryl/compiz.

[LaRoza]

I keep the applet around so I know which desktop I'm on, and I don't use the cube. But for me, workspaces are one of the best features in desktop Linux, and they significantly increase my productivity. In short, hell yeah!

Here, here

It is the one thing Vista should have. I automatically try to switch desktops when using Vista out of habit.

[runningwithscissors]

I don't use the Compiz/Beryl stuff, but desktop switching is indispensable.

[use a name]

Oh yes, very much. Currently, I've got only 13 windows open... I rarely remove something from my session, some things really have their own place on one of the desktops. I wouldn't know what to do without the desktop switcher.

[Erunno]

Virtual desktops are one thing that keeps me tied to the Open Desktop (in my case, KDE). I have several different desktops for development, study, general stuff and whatnot. It really helps to keep the desktop from becoming overcrowded with applications and the taskbar doesn't have to collapse windows that often. And I can plaster each virtual desktop with notes, my main form of organization these days. Since I mostly work with keyboard and a huge amounts of shortcuts I also use the keyboard to switch between workplaces.

Seriously, I can't imagine a life without virtual desktops :P

[forrestcupp]

The only time I use it is when I'm using a program that has a lot of windows. Like when I'm using The Gimp or Cinelerra. They both use multiple windows that take up the whole screen, so switching to something else is kind of unintuitive. So if I'm running a program like that and I need to research something on the internet, or look at the manual or something, I'll do it in a different workspace.

[reclusivemonkey]

I personally like the "Scroll the wheel at the screen edge" when I'm mousing, which at home is more often than not.

[czechman86]

i dont user the fancy effects, but i divide my work spaces into fun and work. its quite handy.

[mrgnash]

It is a great feature which reduces desktop clutter. It is very useful when doing programming or working on research, or testing something.

In GNOME, there is not effect when switching, but with Compiz and Beryl, it is slightly easier to switch and see what is where. All you have to do is middle click and drag, among other methods.

Exactly. I find the window-spread when you hover the cursor in the top right-hand corner of the screen very useful too. I do a lot of research and generally have windows open all over the place, so I actually find it very hard to work without Beryl/Compiz :P

[Skrynesaver]

Here, here

It is the one thing Vista should have. I automatically try to switch desktops when using Vista out of habit.
I use the ctrl-alt-arrow in Gnome and KDE, I tend to have Term, Mail, Browser/research and Editor workspaces. Recently on an XP box I discovered that this changes the orientation of the screen, when trying to move from Term (PuTTY) to Mail.

[Sp4cedOut]

I've been addicted to the workspace switcher since I've started using Linux. I do use the cube effect, I don't use the applet though.

[Chilli Bob]

I don't use the cube (can really see no point in it at all), but can't live without the multiple desktops. On XP at work I'm always trying to switch workspaces out of habit. It's a fantastic feature that Windows should have had 10 years ago.

[reclusivemonkey]

I don't use the cube (can really see no point in it at all), but can't live without the multiple desktops. On XP at work I'm always trying to switch workspaces out of habit. It's a fantastic feature that Windows should have had 10 years ago.

You can have this feature with Windows, although its nowhere near as well implemented as in Linux. Also, you would require admin rights to install it at work, so it might not be possible for you;


http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

Its the "Virtual Desktop Manager".

[Chilli Bob]

You can have this feature with Windows, although its nowhere near as well implemented as in Linux. Also, you would require admin rights to install it at work, so it might not be possible for you;


http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

Its the "Virtual Desktop Manager".

Thanks, will try that next week!!

[euler_fan]

I use mine of GNOME to keep different parts of tasks (or even completely separate tasks) up and running. I usually have Thunderbird up in one, FF up in another, and use the last two for work in the terminal, OOo, or whatever else I am doing. Works great when I need an online reference while scripting and decide to quickly check my email--just hop over to the right workspace, quick check, and then things are just how I want them when I get back to work.

[rocknrolf77]

It's an absolutely must have. Photo editing on one desktop. Terminal and pidgin on another etc. And you can have a lot more than 4 also. When in windows (Once in a blue moon) I get really frustrated with all the desktop clutter :)

[dustigroove]

You can have this feature with Windows, although its nowhere near as well implemented as in Linux. Also, you would require admin rights to install it at work, so it might not be possible for you;


http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

Its the "Virtual Desktop Manager".
On my windows boxen I much prefer to use Dexpot (http://www.dexpot.de/index.php?lang=en) as my workspace switcher. To answer the OP, yes I use it (WS) quite frequently everyday. Honestly wouldn't want to go back to not using it.

Cheers

[rocknrolf77]

Native workspace switcher would kick 3'rd party hacks a** anyday. It has been integrated in Gnu/Linux DE's for such a long time and the system is open so the integration will off course be better :)

[Wolki]

I usually have at least 20-30 windows open. Would be impossible without workspaces.

And the switcher has some big advantages to scrolling on the desktop, and has good synergy with using the relative or direct shortcuts. So, yes.

[onero]

Yup, I found it surprisingly useful, especially when you're running a virtual machine. I could certainly live without it, as I don't use virtual desktops when I'm working in windows, but then I wouldn't want to. :D

[forrestcupp]

You can have this feature with Windows, although its nowhere near as well implemented as in Linux. Also, you would require admin rights to install it at work, so it might not be possible for you;


http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

Its the "Virtual Desktop Manager".

My wife got jealous of my workspaces on Linux, so she installed that on her work XP computer. It slowed her computer down to a crawl and she had to uninstall it.

[init1]

It's a nifty cube effect with Beryl/Compiz when you switch between desktops which is the only reason I ever switch between them - Do you use the Workspace Switcher for doing anything productive??
i use the switcher on occasion, but I don't use Beryl/Compiz effects unless they are there by default and I don't feel like changing it.

[dbbolton]

i use the switcher on occasion, but I don't use Beryl/Compiz effects unless they are there by default and I don't feel like changing it.
i occasionally utilise the multiple desktops in GNOME. i only have two (not four). when i'm running an app that i don't need to see (like wget on long downloads), i move it to the other desktop.

[Happy_Man]

Oh, yes. It increases productivity, and it looks really really cool. (I'm using Compiz Fusion, so the reflection is damn awesome.)

[ivesjd]

I use them. I had them in windows about a year and a half ago with the nvidia drivers. Dont know if they still have them or not. but they were there.

[suterb42]

It's a neat idea, but I don't use it.