Space … SPACE!

Way back in April, I wrote about how handy I found a little Mac app, called Exposé.

The one in the top picture?

Yes, that’s the one.

Basically, it allows me to squeeze the side buttons on my mouse, and switch rapidly between application windows.

But there’s other options; one that OS X 10.5.x shares with Ubuntu.

And, although I’m not sure what Ubuntu calls its version, I know it’s had it for a long ol’ time; certainly since Breezy Badger, the 2005 release.

And it’s something Apple introduced into OS X with the release of Leopard, a few years ago.

And it’s (fairly) simple to understand, although I’m not sure if I can explain it well.

But let me try.

When you look at your screen, what have you got?

You’ve got your Desktop.

You’ll have icons representing folders, pictures, applications, what have you.

More to the point, you’ll have Open windows.

Lots of them, if you’re like me!

Within OS X Spaces lets you set up alternative desktops. As examples, you can put your iTunes windows in one Space, your work documents in another, and your video players in a third. I’ve set up NeoOffice, Text Edit and Safari in one space, iTunes in a second and picture editing in a third*; I can switch between the two desktops by hitting ctrl and the Left and Right cursor keys.

Which also lets me use alt and the cursor keys to toggle back and forward, between words and paragraphs, when I’m using a text editing application.

It doesn’t — as far as I can see — work quite the same way in Jaunty Jackalope, but the current version of Ubuntu does let you use a contextual menu — that drops down from the top left hand corner icon of a given window — to shift items between different workspaces. You can also drag a window off the right (or left) edge of the monitor screen, switch to the ‘other’ workspace — with the handy icons in the bottom right of the screen — and then drag the window all the way into the second desktop from there.

To try and expand the ‘desktop’ metaphor we’ve used for so long, it’s like have different themed piles of paperwork, on your desk. You push one aside, and pull forward another, when you want to work on different things.

Now, whether it’s something I’ll find useful, I don’t know. I have, after all been using Exposé for quite a while.

But I do know others may find it handy.

* I will admit I’m glad that OpenOffice no longer relies on the OS X version of the X11 windowing system; I’ve had to move that to Space 3, along with my copy of Gimp; just to make sure it doesn’t muddle up everything …