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Mac OS X  |  System / Utilities  |  Tweaks / Enhancements  |  VirtueDesktops

VirtueDesktops

VirtueDesktops - 0.53r247

virtual desktop manager

All Time: (4.0)
Version 0.53r247: (3.0)
Selected Version: 0.53r247
Release Date: 2006-12-14
License: Beta
Downloads (version 0.53r247): 1,608
Downloads (all versions): 111,568

Information Related to Version:

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Product Description:

VirtueDesktops is a virtual desktop manager for Apple’s Mac OS X. It offers features, eye candy and configurable options that no other desktop manager on the Mac has added yet, and is under active development. It is based upon the ideas and work done by Rich Wareham on DesktopManager.

Some of the key features of VirtueDesktops:

  • Virtual screens: an unlimited number of virtual screens at your disposal
  • Eye candy: exciting transitions and window fading
  • Universal binary: runs at full speed on your shiny new Intel-based Mac
  • AppleScript-able: script your desktop experience
  • Unobtrusive: VirtueDesktops does not clutter your desktop - it gets in, switches your virtual screen and then quietly hides itself, waiting for your next request
  • Extensible: install plugins to add additional features
  • Exposé: works well with Apple’s Exposé
  • Keeps you informed: notifications and current desktop display orient you as you work across multiple virtual screens
  • “Stick-ify” your windows or applications: Make your windows and applications visible across all of your virtual screens

What's new in this version:

  • Custom desktop pictures now work. Be aware that if your transition time is set too low, you won't get a smooth change between desktops - I'll be adding a warning to the transition preferences about this in the next build;
  • Bindings are working - check the application organiser and watch in wonder as windows update in near-real-time;
  • There is now an option in the application inspector, and the operations window, to not change the focus of an application on desktop switches. This means you can exclude applications like X11.app and Parallels from taking focus when you switch to them -- this was a patch submitted by Alex Peyser;
  • There is now a welcome screen the first time you run VirtueDesktops, to show you where the menu is (you'd be surprised how often I get asked!);
  • Fixed an error that was causing sticky applications to be ignored by Expose;
  • All window operations should be much more consistent - try out sticky windows - no more lost windows!
  • Lots of UI work.

Operating System Requirements:

This product is designed to run on the following operating systems:

  • Mac OS X 10.4 Intel
  • Mac OS X 10.4 PPC

Additional Requirements:

  • Mac OS X 10.4 or later (Universal Binary)

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Feedback Summary:

Version 0.53r247:
Overall Rating: (3.0) Features: (3.0) Support: (1.0)
Ease of Use: (1.0) Quality / Stability: (3.0) Price: (3.0)
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VirtueDesktops CommentaryBug in 0.54 Beta 4 found + Problems at developer's site - Version: 0.54 Beta 4, 12/7/2007 07:22PM PST

(1 of 1 users found this comment useful)

zunipus
I found an annoying bug in 0.5.4 Beta 4. If you start seeing this happen, then switch back to Beta 2. (There was no Beta 3 release to the public).

Problem: You click on a window for an application and find you are now in some other unintended application. Example: You have TextEdit and Stickies open. You are in a Finder window. You click on a Stickies note and find yourself in TextEdit instead. So you have to click the Stickies note a 2nd time to actually get there. This is a repeatable problem. Quitting VirtueDesktops stops it.

If anyone finds this is due to some setting in VirtueDesktops, please let us know.

Meanwhile, you can get to the Home page of http://virtuedesktops.info/ but that is all. If you try to hit any other links, the developer's server throws a string error. If anyone finds this problem has been resolved, please post.

:-Derek
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VirtueDesktops CommentaryTips For Using VD - Version: 0.54 Beta 4, 11/20/2007 03:36PM PST

(1 of 1 users found this comment useful)

zunipus
So long, farewell. This application was a *censored* to set up and truly is beta quality, which is to say it is buggy. But it has served me well, having been abandoned by the dopes over at CodeTek who used to provide the very best virtual desktop app I ever used.

Here are some tips for folks who continue to use VD. I may not get them all down here in this first note. If I come up with some more I will toss them into the replies.

1) Turn OFF using Growl for notifications. It may be that OmniGrowl in particular is the problem I ran into. But I never saw any point in using Growl with VD anyway. The bug bombs VD every time Growl tosses up just about ANY sort of message. As soon as I turned off Growl notifications, VD stopped bombing.

2) VD bombs at random anyway, but not as incessantly as with Growl notifications. I found it extremely useful to set up a keystroke to activate VD whenever I needed the thing to come back from the dead. Rather than having to go dig for it on the Dock I just hit they keystroke and back it comes. I count 1-2-3 then hit the keystroke to get to the desktop I want to use.

3) If you are trying to get a particular window to show up on a different desktop (Command-Option-O) and VD is failing to do the job: Quit VD, restart it again and it will work correctly. This bug shows up a period of time after VD has started.

4) How to reset VD. (I grabbed this tip from elsewhere so forgive me if you've read it before). You want to Quit VD then trash the following:
~/Library/Preferences/info.virtuedesktops.VirtueDesktops.plist
~Library/Caches/VirtueDesktops
~/Library/Application Support/VirtueDesktops

If folks have other useful tips to make this betaware a bit easier to use, please add to the list via replies.

:-Derek
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VirtueDesktops ReviewWorks perfectly... - Version: 0.54 Beta 2, 10/31/2007 12:19PM PST

(1 of 1 users found this comment useful)

Prebinder
Works perfectly for me and I used it for month. Even if it is Beta.
If you have Tiger installed you are lucky and can use this Software.
In my Opinion it`s better than Apples Spaces. No need to upgrade to Leopard.

Too bad the Developer has given up. Just because a big Company like Apple is copying Ideas it doesn`t mean they can do it better!
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