Saturday, February 4th, 2006, 5:49 am
Rational Break-down of Virtual Desktops
Filed under:
A pager which contains 8 virtual desktops
SSOCIATION of numbers with tasks can make life somewhat easier. Logical subdivision of processes can be reached in this way. Depending on the task at hand, a certain mnemonic can serve as a bridge to quick access. In this particular case, I am thinking about virtual desktops, which I have introduced and described before.
Let us consider a variety of activities which are undertaken in the daily routine of a computer user and assign each to a particular virtual desktop — a particular number, that is. This way, one can immediately jump from one process to another rather than ever launch and re-launch applications, or even minimise and restore any. Here are the mnemonic that I found to be most useful over time.
1. In my main workstation (University, dual-head as shown above):
- Desktop 1: Web browsing (occasionally feeds)
- Desktop 2: Right-hand-side: E-mail, left-hand-side: music
- Desktop 3: Reading (usually GhostView and file managers)
- Desktop 4: Programming
- Desktop 5: Writing/authoring
- Desktop 6: Remote connections (permanent link to two other workstations)
- Desktop 7: Photography, usually vacant or neglected
- Desktop 8: Communication, e.g. newsgroups
2+3. At work and at home:
Desktops 1 and 2 are consistent with the above. As the machines are not dual-head and only 4 virtual desktops are used (anything beyond 4 is often an excess), desktop 3 centralises many of the remote connection and file browsing aspects. Desktop 4 usually involves both reading and programming.
Either way, regardless of which numbers you assign to your favourite tasks, a quick tap on CTRL+number becomes natural and, given a certain task, the number makes transition to it more natural, almost innate. Diversion of attention can be made trivial and speed is then comparable with that of will. All programs are either in the visible (active) or virtual frame buffer.
