nSpaces is rather lightweight, weighing only at 742KB. After installation, you can run the application and start to switch between desktop. The default number of virtual desktop is 4, but it doesn’t seem to limit you to the number of desktop you can have. I have added 20 rows and 20 columns (a total of 400 desktops) and it run without issue, though it is a bit slow and memory hog with so many desktops.

There are several settings you can configure for each desktop:

Label – You can set a label for each desktop, for easy identification.

Wallpaper – Each desktop can have its own wallpaper.

Apps – When you open an app, you can set it to open only on a specific desktop. For example, my text editor will open in the “coding” desktop while email clients opens in the “Email” desktop.

Hotkey – You can define the hotkey to easily and quickly switch to the desktop.

The default hotkey for switching desktop is “Shift + Ctrl + left/right arrow” key. You can also activate the Switcher window with the “Win + S” hotkey.

If you are very paranoid about people accessing your desktop and see what you are doing, you can also set a password for each desktop so only you can access it.

Conclusion

nSpaces is not without bugs. There are incidents where it fails to change the wallpaper when I switched desktop. In addition, there are some lags when you switch desktop since it needs to restore the settings for that desktop. Nevertheless, if you need a simple virtual desktop manager, nSpaces is worthwhile to check it out.

nSpaces

Related Posts:

• Get Virtual Desktops On Windows
• Windows 8 to Shove Aero Away
• Free Giveaway: Blu-ray Decrypter
• Ask MTE: Missing Windows Media Center, Thumbnails Missing In Explorer, Remove Games Icon And Many More (Week 16)

[Windows only] If you constantly find your desktop cluttered with application windows, then a virtual desktop manager might be what you need to get yourselves organized.

Virtual desktops are useful in that they provide you with extra desk space to place your applications windows. You can easily move your windows from one workspace to another and sort them according to their functionality.

Mac and Linux users will be familiar with virtual desktops as they are very common in the two OSes. In Windows, virtual desktop are not available in the default installation. Windows users who are looking to add virtual desktops capability to your system can consider the following recommendations:

1) VirtuaWin

VirtuaWin may be small in size (only 384kb), but it is definitely not lacking in feature. Supporting a maximum of 20 virtual desktops, it allows you to define your virtual desktops in a matrix size of your liking. With only a small icon at the taskbar, it does its job without providing an obstructive view to the desktop.

One thing unique about VirtuaWin is its ability to add modules to improve its functionality. If you find that the core application is lacking in certain areas, you can always find a plugin in their database and add it to the core. In addition, VirtuaWin has a portable version that you can bring it on your USB thumb drive.

2) Vista/XP Virtual Desktop Manager

Vista/XP Virtual Desktop Manager is one of the best virtual desktop manager around. It can support unlimited virtual desktops as long as your system has enough resources to support it. It has a nice and easy to use interface. Transition from desktop to desktop is smooth and you are able to set a different wallpaper for each desktop. This is useful for identifying which desktop you are in. Due to its graphical performance, this application will take up slightly more resources than the rest.

One unique point about Vista/XP virtual desktop manager is its ability to show a full screen preview of all the desktops and let you choose which you want to access.

3) Virtual Dimension

As the same as Vista/XP Virtual Desktop, Virtual Dimension also allows you to configure unlimited number of desktops. Virtual Dimension is useful because it give you fully customization. If you are the type who like to define your own hotkeys and have different setting for each desktop, then Virtual Dimension is suitable for you.

When loaded, you can find a small window showing all the available desktops. You can drag the window and place it where that is not obstructive, yet is convenient enough for you to access it.

4) Dexpot

Dexpot is somewhere in between Vista Virtual Desktop and Virtual Dimension. It allows you to see a full screen preview of all your desktops and also customize configuration for each and every one of the desktops. Users can set up to 20 virtual desktops and different wallpapers can be set for each desktop.

What’s your favorite virtual desktop manager in Windows?

Related Posts:

• Add Virtual Desktops To Your Windows With nSpaces
• Windows 8 to Shove Aero Away
• Free Giveaway: Blu-ray Decrypter
• Ask MTE: Missing Windows Media Center, Thumbnails Missing In Explorer, Remove Games Icon And Many More (Week 16)