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l008com · Jan 1, 2011, 08:47 AM

When spaces first came out, it seemed cool but, too clumsy to use. So I didn't really use it. But lately I've been trying very hard to work it into my work flow, since the concept of spaces is great. Here's my setup. I have two real displays side by site. So I set up four spaces, in a single column. I tried multiple columns but with dual displays, it becomes very disorienting. A single column is much easier to wrap your brain around.

I've added spaces to the menu bar, the Spaces "app" to the dock, and then I realized that all the Fkeys on the right side of my keyboard do NOTHING. So I set F16 to F19 to be a hard switch to each space. Then I made F15 the 'show spaces' function. Adding it to the keyboard like that has made it a lot more usable.

So in system prefs, I've added iChat and iTunes to "every space". Then I added Mail to space 1, which works out well. Server admin is space 3 and VMWare is space 4. Those also work out fairly well.

The biggest problem I have at this point is the auto-space switching. Particularly with Safari. Space 2 is usually filled with my web work. Some Dreamweaver or GoLive windows, some finder windows, some BBEdit windows, and a few safari windows. I just leave them there so I can jump back to work in an instant. The REALLY annoying thing is when I'm in space 1, my "primary" space, and I click on Safari in the dock. If there are no windows open in the current space, I want clicking on Safari to open a new window, in the current space. I don't want it to jump to existing safari window that's in another space.
BUT that said, there are some apps where I do want this behavior... most in fact. So it seems to me apple needs one more option for Application Assignments. A different version of "Every Space" that will make it behave like the app doesn't see windows in other spaces.

For now I'm going to try turning off space switching for all Apps. But I'd really like to be able to do it on an app-by-app basis, you know?

l008com · Jan 1, 2011, 08:48 AM

Yeah that doesn't work at all. Clicking safari an an 'empty' space, with that setting set, does nothing. No new windows, no switching spaces. Worst of both worlds? Ugh.

l008com · Jan 1, 2011, 08:53 AM

And you know what else would be good... better differentiation between spaces. Right now, the only way I can tell what space I'm in (if there are no windows open), is the tiny number in my menu bar. Or initiating a 'show spaces'. Hows about letting me set different desktop images for each space. That would be incredibly handy!

turtle777 · Jan 1, 2011, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by l008com

. Hows about letting me set different desktop images for each space. That would be incredibly handy!

Let me google that for you

-t

l008com · Jan 1, 2011, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

Let me google that for you

-t

I'm not going to use SpaceSuit. It's a full blown app you have to leave running at all times for it to work. Ill pass.

Atheist · Jan 1, 2011, 02:16 PM

I feel your pain. I'm a huge fan of virtual desktops. I've been using them since Windows 95. I can't live without them. I agree that we really need to be able to set behavior on a per application basis.

I find spaces easier to use with a single monitor. With a dual monitor setup it just seems funky. What I'd really like is to have monitor 1 being static and monitor 2 having spaces. Haven't found an app to do that.