Windows 10: How are you supposed to use extra desktops?

Hi

I don't quite get the add desktops thing.

I open the desktop and add another one, then what.

If I put different Icons on it does it persist indefinitely so two different used could have different desktops?

If it's going to do that it seems like it should be tied into the boot log in, so the desktop that is keyed to the user should come up and not be available to the other users.

I just need someone to explain what it's for, I just don't see how I would use it.

Mike

:)

 

Are you still supposed to give your new phone's battery a long first charge...

I had the same problem and got a fake once as well. I did not return it as the postage cost would have exceeded the refund. Try to get the seller to confirm that it is genuine before buying. A desktop charger is also very useful as it allows you to charge
your second battery while using your phone at the same time.

 

Are you still supposed to give your new phone's battery a long first charge...

Well, having had a few devices powered by Li-Ion & LiPo batteries i have tried both methods of battery care...

1. Charge it till it stops charging

2. charge it for +-16 hours and then run it into the ground

Have to admit, the first method results in a much cooler device and the same if not better battery life...

A little known fact, propagated by cellphone shops and generally anywhere that used to sell ni-cad & NiMH batteries, the 16 hour charge and run dead was to cure the "memory" effect...

the memory effect doesn't apply to lithium based batteries...

and another thing, the charging circuitry in your phone will automatically CUT OFF power to your battery once it has fully charged anyway...

the dangers of leaving your lithium based batteries on charge for longer than required were flashed across the world with the exploding dell notebooks...

 

Has there been any info from MS about it or are they using their SOP?

 

Hi there

There's loads of uses for Virtual Desktops (ifit were implemented properly).

I'm not sure how it actually works but if it works like LINUX you can have a totally different set of programs / backgrounds etc on EACH desktop - so if one desktop has too many windows you can open another desktop up and have more windows.

If you say work as a developer and you have access to a number of SAP (ERP type of application ) systems say for a number of different clients - and usually there's always a minimum of 3 - TEST/DEV / QA /PROD per client you could have a lot of windows concurrently open - so by switching desktops it's easier to manage. These sort of programs don't use many resources on YOUR machine (SAP etc does all the DB calls / queries etc on the backend remote servers).

You could aslo want debugging windows open and all sorts of things.

I can see loads of uses for multiple desktops. I think Ms hasn't implemented it properly yet but I'm sure it will be improved/

Cheers
jimbo

 

I'm guessing there are very few people who have an actual need for this, er, feature.

 

I can see a use for this feature as Jim explained, but would be a lot better if a desktop configuration could be saved for future use. Two or three for work, one for play, etc.

 

Hi there

There's always a difference between "Actual Need" and "nice to have". I'm sure if I could only have what I REALLY NEED instead of what is "Nice to have" - I might have a cheaper but not necessarily simpler life.

I could for instance quite easily do without a Smartphone - I don't Actually Need it - but it sure makes life a lot easier - especially when you travel a lot. (Note I didn't say a Mobile phone - just a Smartphone).

I don't actually need a TV either - probably that's the one piece of modern equipment I might junk anyway -- nothing but dumbed down reality junk on it or poor politicians sprouting off sheer nonsense - but I still have one.

It's funny how often when at work the I.T dept are always saying do you REALLY NEED feature X -- well usually I don't NEED it but as a user it's NICE TO HAVE.

Cheers
jimbo

 

My guess is this is not feature complete yet. I'm hoping newer builds will add more functionality, such as persistent, separately configured desktops (ie each has their own sets of icons, backgrounds, etc... plus it persists from boot to boot and it's defined from user to user.)

As it is now, it's nice, but the fact it doesn't persist is a bit annoying.

It's not so much about icons though, it's about open applications. You have your applications laid out in the screen and you can move from one screen to another and they stay open on that screen. Just like if you laid out all your tax documents on one physical desk, then laid out all your drawing documents out on another physical desk. You can move from one desk to another when you want to work on that specific "task".

 

Hi

I just seems that unless you can save the configuration it's kind of useless.

I could see that someone, (not me) might have the need to have different desktop layouts, but I guess if you have a dozen applications open it might be easier to spread them across multiple desktops.

It seems like it's so easy to cycle through open applications the way it works on one desktop.
But I never have more then 3 or 4 things running at one time.

Mike

OK, I just tested.

This only works for open applications.

I made 3 desktops, on one I put a folder, one I put a shortcut to Photoshop, and on one I put an open application.

The folder and shortcut showed on all of the desktops, the application only showed on the one I created it on.

So this isn't about setting up custom desktops for different functions or anything like that.

It's just for displaying multiple open applications on separate desktops.

Since I can open multiple applications on one desktop, and cycle through them using Task View I'm not sure how this helps.

 

I think virtual desktop is simply like a virtual multiple monitor setup just so you can keep programs running on full screen view rather than minimizing them when you need to switch windows. So for me, it's kind of useless. I barely use my 4th monitor.

 

Search through Youtube on Multiple Desktops and watch some of the videos for Linux and MacOS about them showing off the multiple desktop features. That might give you an idea of how other people use those features.

Again, my guess is that more features will be added to this as the beta moves along.

 

I first saw multiple desktops in Linux about 14 years ago but I am quite certain it was not new then. There have been third party utilities that brought this to Windows since at least Windows 2000. The Mac also has multiple desktops. Windows 10 is the first version of Windows that supports this natively. Functionality appears to be very basic and probably not finished. Microsoft has specifically stated that Windows 10 is not yet feature complete.

I have been using VirtuaWin with Windows 7 and find it convenient, particularly with many windows open. With only a few it is probably not worthwhile.

Multiple desktops have been around for a long time and many people use them routinely, some no doubt claiming they could not get along without them. But like many other OS features they are not for everybody.

 

It's about how you work.. some people don't like all the extra distractions of extra windows hanging around. They want to switch between virtual "workspaces" where all their windows stay as-is.

The virtual desktop tools that have been around for a long time in Windows have worked so-so.. they all tend to have various problems because unlike Linux (and to some extent MacOS), Windows apps have a lot of control over their own "window chrome" and how they display themselves. So often times "smart" apps are fighting with these virtual desktop apps about how to display themselves and the virtual desktop app usually loses.

 

I don't see the difference between virtual desktops and combining taskbar buttons. Some may find it useful and more power to them, personally I just MS make it possible to unpin it from the taskbar to give me more room and get rid of an unwanted icon.