MultiDesktop

Having to deal with a single monitor for multiple computer activities and different windows which take up a considerable visual space can be a burden. Luckily, Windows introduced virtual desktops as a default feature, but third-party alternatives are around for quite a while now, and MultiDesktop Manager is a suitable example in this regard.

There are no other desktops created by default, but this isn’t necessarily an inconvenience, because the approach on multiple desktops is a bit different than you expect. On the bright side, it forces you to create at least a new desktop so you can easily see the variables in play.

A new window shows up, acting as the creation screen. Here, you can assign a name to make it easily identifiable, as well as a program to launch. Several ones are selectable by default, such as the Explorer process. Note, however, that leaving the program field blank creates an entirely empty desktop, even devoid of a taskbar.

New desktops are pretty much handled as stand-alone instances, and you’re not able to see desktop icons, or any other elements from the default one. On the downside, there are no options to send active windows between desktops, and system hotkeys only apply to the default desktop. On the other hand, there is a dedicated Run command to help you launch, and even browse for programs of interest.

Unfortunately, active programs and windows in other desktops aren’t sent to the default one on exit. There’s no option to remove existing desktops. However, all instances are brought back up whenever you switch to different desktops, even if the application is closed and launched again.

Taking everything into consideration, we can state that MultiDesktop Manager comes with a neat concept in mind, letting you work with new desktops from scratch. Surely enough this provides a great deal of comfort, but it could have used options to make interactions between desktops a bit easier, or even possible altogether.