Re-thinking workspaces

[sicofante]

I like workspaces, but too many times I've thought they should be really like completely different screens. They should have their own desktop icons, their own panel applets, their own Gnome layout, their own wallpaper of course, etc., etc., etc.

You could have a work workspace, a leisure workspace and maybe more. You could have a different workspace for each different project you're working on at the same time. Workspaces might belong to a single user or they might represent different logged-in users.

What do you think?

[undecidable]

In Kubuntu you can have different wallpaper for each workspace.
I use 5 workspaces for different purposes, and the wallpaper reminds me where I am. This much flexibility might be counter to the simple usability philosophy of Ubuntu.

[sicofante]

Actually, most first time users never go beyond their main workspace, so that feature can be safely considered an advanced feature.

I'm not suggesting a new workspace appears completely empty. A default behaviour would be the current one. But power-user options might provide tools to make truly different workspaces a reality.

Wallpaper-per-workspace is coming to Gnome via Compiz, as soon as Nautilus supports transparent backgrounds. However, this is probably the least important part of the idea. Much more importante would be, for instance, making desktop items belong to each workspace, not to all. I might have one workspace's desktop overcrowded with folders and files belonging to a project and another workspace would be clean for other purposes. I might have specific tools in the panel for one workspace and different ones in the next. I might use a dock for fun in one workspace and a taskbar for functionality in another.

[uknowho008]

i completely agree.

[xen-uno]

As early as 8.10 according to Brainstorm ... I would welcome the ability too.

[rainwalker]

Another +1 for this idea from me :)
Is there a brainstorm page for it?

[xen-uno]

http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/93/

[sicofante]

http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/93/
I'm sorry the trend (and that particular brainstorm poll) is just about wallpapers. The idea here goes well beyond that. This one http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/6247/ goes a little bit further, but still... The concept is defining the workspace not just as a duplicate of the current area where only the active windows are different, but a true separate space for a true different work. Our computers are really powerful and could handle this easily. It's not a paradigm shift or something revolutionary: it's about taking the idea of workspaces to its full potential, not the current shy auxiliary approach. It's multitasking applied to the desktop metaphor: I use my workshop for building computers, my living room to watch movies, my office to do general business. I don't want three computers: I can do it all with one if the appropriate environment is available at my fingertips with a proper workspace for each need.

Gnome 3.0 seems to be lacking... This might be something in the spirit of "evolutionary" not "revolutionary".

[Jokimoto]

Very good points, sicofante, and you brought up everything I've thought about since installing Ubuntu a few weeks ago.
As it stands, I use the workspaces to differentiate between internet apps, file browsing/word processing, etc. It's great to not have all that crowded onto one screen, but it would be even better to not have AWN showing when I'm on the Abiword screen, etc.
I'll be patient, though. I haven't disavowed Windows entirely, since I couldn't do without Tracktion or Battlefield 2 for instance, but Ubuntu has me hooked nevertheless. :)