5 problems with Leopard Spaces

Ok. So, I like Spaces. Working as a developer for several simultaneous clients, virtual desktops are an organizational life saver for me. But wow, could it use some improvements, I mean, virtual desktops on Linux were significantly more useful over a decade ago - come on, Apple, how can you be so far behind on this??

1) When swooshing is enabled you get whisked from Space to Space

Before 10.5.2 when you didn’t have that hack to disable swooshing, getting automatically moved around was really annoying. Tab’ing through apps or clicking on a Dock icon or clicking on a Link in your email would most likely sending you wooshing to the Desktop where the app was last active. Horrendous.

But the no-swooshing hack is not all sunshine and unicorns, it brings with it a different set of problems, as I discovered…

2) Dialogue boxes show up not where you are

If you’ve got the same app on several spacesthere’s a pretty darn good chance that when a dialogue pops up it will be on a different desktop. Sometimes not even visible eveb when you’re on the right desktop. Really, really annoying. You used to get automatically moved to that desktop, but with swooshing disabled this has stopped. Sadly, I’m not sure if it’s an improvement, because now, if a dialogue pops up, you have to track it down through all your desktops. This is a real problem.

3) Popup windows get stuck

Por ejemplo, the download tracker of the various browsers seems to remember the desktop it was on, even in between closing. So, if you happened to be on Space 2 when you first downloaded something and then you closed that window and are now on Space 1, when you download the next thing, you have to remember to go back to Space 2 to check out the window. Great. Swoosh disabling saves you from the hunting, but annoyingly moves you to the window instead of vice versa.

4) Sometimes you can’t open a new window from the dock

Ok, this one isn’t really Apple’s problem, but it should be in some developer guideline. When you’re traipsing around Spaces you need to be able to open new windows of various apps on the Desktop you’re currently in, the most logical way to do this is off the Dock. Sadly some apps (Firefox, I’m looking at you!) don’t provide a “new window” function in their Dock icon. The solution? Go to another space where Firefox is already open, make a new window and drag it. The improves if you disable the desktop swooshing (see above) - because then you can safely click the Firefox Dock icon (and not be whisked to another Space) and cmd-n a new window.

5) There’s no way to differentiate Spaces

Apple needs to provide a way to differentiate spaces. A vague numbering system and fade-in/fade-out grid when you move spaces does not help anyone. If I have 9 spaces open, it would help to be able distinguish one from the next. One thing I’d love would be to be able to title the Spaces, so that in the toolbar next to the Space icon, would be whatever title I gave to the current desktop. That seems like it’d be an easy and very helpful solution. And/or allowing a different background to be chosen for each Space. Something. Anything.

Now don’t get me wrong, I really like Spaces, my work life has measurably improved since Apple brought it out. But it is still so flawed it amazes me. Apple gets so many things right and is so cutting edge on things that it boggles my mind that they’d miss on this technology which is so old - where there’s already a successful, working implementation in Linux. It’s not even like they decided to go another route, they just came out with a half done solution. Please, Apple, finish the job!

Feb 21st, 2008 · Comments RSS · · · · · Tags: apple · list