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Getting into Spaces : how do you use them?

C

cutcopypaste

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 28, 2008
176
29
Hi.. I've not had spaces turned on for a while, just because when I went into them at first, it didn't seem to work quite the way i'd like though I couldn't pinpoint why, but I've seen people raving about them so much and I do have problems with the amount of clutter I accumulate, so I thought I would get back into it...

but something still isn't clicking, so i'm just wondering how you guys go about using them, what apps you put where, etc.
my biggest issue with them (aside from office 2008 which just messes them up completely, but that's basically the clincher to just using the program anymore as I pretty much hate it) is multiple instances of programs. Most spaces I'm using i'd want a firefox window open in, but I find then when I'm clicking on the firefox icon in the dock I have no idea where I'm going to end up and usually get thrown to some other space and have to find my way back. I'm thinking dock expose in snow leopard will help a lot with that, but as it is not saving me time! I just had the idea of maybe using safari and opera in different spaces (firefox definitely in my web developer one..)

so anyway i dunno.. just rambling.. but i feel like spaces could help me a lot, i'm just not quite sure how to play with them... any personal stories/recommendations or articles about using them in an advanced sort of way would be really appreciated.
 
I keep my Fusion/Windows running in another space
Like having a separate computer

Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
 
I have to admit that it took me about a year (and I use my computer for about 8+ hours a day) to really learn and tweak spaces for my optimal experience. I have assigned a few apps to open in a particular space. Some apps behave differently with spaces too. You have already voiced your irritation with Office 2008, and that is a standard complaint with that package.

You can go to Macworld and various other places to read articles about how to use Spaces. I liked doing this because articles will explain all of the benefits/quirks so that you can think about what you do and use spaces to help you to do it more effectively.
 
i have 6 spaces divided how i see them fit:

Space 1: Coda, Photoshop CS4, Cyberduck
Space 2: Mail, iCal
Space 3: Safari
Space 4: Transmission, Boxee, CrossOver
Space 5: iTunes, iPhoto, Airfoil/Airfoil Speakers
Space 6: Adium, iChat, Stickies, Quicktime, Garageband, Sys Prefs


most of the time everything but Boxee+CrossOver+Cyberduck is open so i love spaces

you should divide them

Work, Web Surfing, Media, Chat+Notes - or well.. i guess what applications you use together.
 
I stopped using spaces altogether as I found it was slowing me down. Plus, there were always times when I would want to see an app on space 1 and an app on space 2 at the same time. So, I was constantly moving apps between spaces. I found using combinations of command-tab and command-h work much faster for me while keeping my desktop clean and organized. I do, however, always use 2 monitors so that helps me a lot.

I really like the idea of spaces. Pretty much the only apps I would really want to use with spaces don't work well with them. Examples: MS Office and Matlab/Simulink. The latter is really annoying when it is on a space other than 1. Menus and pop-ups would always appear on space 1 no matter what space the program is actually on. Maybe something to do with X11? I don't know. Oh well.
 
Unfortunately as of right now there is not really a solution that I know of for clicking the application icon and having it go to the one you want. I think it generally goes to the last window you used.

I personally love them, but you kind of have to think of window management in a bit different of a way, and IMO more or less shun the dock. This works AMAZINGLY well for me, but it really throws Windows / Tiger / non-spaces Leopard users for a complete loop ("omg, where did it go :D"). I have a shortcut on my MX Revolution mouse that activates spaces, which works very very well.

If anyone is curious or hunting for ideas, my spaces layout: (I have two monitors, my 13" MB and my 21" external, so there is almost zero clutter / application overlap, which is the way I like it)

1: Mail, iCal, iChat
2: Safari, generally my "go-to space" for running misc. things
3: MS Office, iWork, etc.
4: iTunes, Aperture
5: Transmission, Limewire (when it worked), Handbrake, Switch, etc. -or- Aperture
6: Photoshop
 
Running 9 spaces, across two screens

1 Safari
2 Mail, iChat, iCal
3 DVD Player, iPhoto, iTunes, Logitech LCD tool
4 Numbers, Keynote, Pages
5 ConceptDraw Pro, Mindmap, Project
6 Handbrake, Razer mouse Control Centre, Cleanapp, System Profiler, Preferences
7 Keychain Access, ClamXv, Software Update
8 Terminal, Activety Monitor, Temperature Monitor, Console
9 Disk utility, SuperDouper, Drive Genius

Never had a problem Spaces works flawlessly for me, I also move stuff about, if I want two or more programs to coexist in the same space, generally I have them laid out to keep my workflow smooth, just need to add Neo Office 3

Q-6
 
I have 6 spaces:

1: iWork, Office
2: Safari and other internet stuff
3: free for apps that I don't use that often
4: Mail, iCal, Adium, Adressbook
5: iTunes
6: Windows running in fusion

Spaces is assigned to the 3rd mouse button, so I can navigate really quick between all my spaces. Expose is on the 4th button. With both Expose and Space I get a very easy and fast way to find all my windows.

When I'm on the road without a mouse I use the F5 key to bring up spaces.

And btw I have Spotlight on F6 so I can access all apps and documents in a second.
 
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