When Apple released the latest update for Mac OS X Leopard, with the version number of 10.5.3, they updated the way that Spaces worked.  As John Gruber pointed out, Spaces now can better focus on “task separation” rather than “application separation”.
Here is a quick overview and history for you. Â Spaces is a virtual desktop application that, for the lack of a better way of putting it, allows you to create as many desktops as you’d like. Â Right now your computer probably has one desktop or one “viewable area to put windows”. Â With Spaces, you can create more than one, and then use each of them for different purposes.
Prior to Mac OS X 10.5.3 Spaces was used more for separating applications onto different Spaces rather than setting up Spaces for tasks. Â An example would be keeping your email on one Space, while having your browser in another, to keep the two applications separate for use. For people that are more productive based on focus, this made it nice to focus on your email Inbox instead of having many windows open.
However, I called this version of Spaces a glorified “Hide Others”. Â In Mac OS X you can hide any application, or, hide every other application except the one you are currently viewing. Â The first iteration of Spaces was like a different way to use this feature.
In the latest version of the operating system you can separate your Spaces into tasks rather than only by application. Â An application, like Safari, can have windows present in every single space if you’d like. Â This way you can have a Space set aside for writing, one for email, and another for working on a logo. Â Sound confusing? Â Consider how I’m currently using Spaces – and it might help clear things up for you.
Space 1: Writing / Reading:Â I use my first Space to read just about everything I need to read. Â Google Reader in a Safari window, tabs open for other articles and links people give to me, etc – are all on this space. Â Since my reading and my writing usually go together, I use this Space for writing as well. Â This means that while I’m writing this entry, I’m on Space 1 with tabs and windows open that are related to this entry. Â Nothing else is distracting me from this task of writing this entry. Â All of the information I need to complete this task is on this Space and nothing else.
Space 2: iTunes and other long-duration tasks: Have you ever needed to encode something in iMovie or, perhaps you’re downloading something that will take a long time, or transferring files from one location to another, backing up your computer, etc. Â I use this second space for those tasks. Â iTunes is always open in Space 2, though I can control it through my Apple Keyboard, so I don’t need to switch to that Space to play, pause, skip to the next song, etc.
The reason I separate the long-duration tasks over onto their own space is because I feel they can be a distraction. Â I find myself checking applications that are “doing something” every now and then. Â Now I don’t check them usually until they are completely finished with their task. Â I find it is far less distracting.
Space 3: Email, IM, and Twhirl: I also call this my “communication station”. Â The entire Viddler team keeps tabs via a Skype chat. Â I also use iChat on a daily basis. Â My email Inbox is in a constant state of flux. Â And Twhirl, the application I use to keep up-to-date with Twitter and FriendFeed, is also getting updated every 15 minutes or so. Â In order to keep my distractions down on all other Spaces I keep these tasks dedicated to this one Space. Â I’m free to check up on them when I want.
Space 4: Projects: Typically, on a given day or at a specific time, I’m working on one project. Â This space is where I do that project. Â For instance, if I’m programming something I’ll have Coda, Transmit, any browser windows with documentation and reference material, and perhaps a browser window with a preview of what I’m working on – in this Space. Â This space is completely project centric, with nothing else to distract me from that project. Â It is very seldom that I need to work on 2 projects at once ((That don’t fit into the other Spaces I already have set up.)) so I’m able to focus on the project until it is done.
I’ve found Spaces to be very enjoyable since the 10.5.3 upgrade to Mac OS X and while I think my usage of it will mature over time, the last few weeks have been liberating in many ways. Â Just the other day, while at a meeting at ViddlerHQ, I used my project Space to keep notes for the meeting. Â There was no other distraction available for me during that meeting so I was able to both take notes with my laptop open and be a constructive part of the meeting.
How are you using Spaces? Â Have you given it a try since the update?
Update: Switching Spaces and preference oddities
After rereading this entry, and being asked questions via Skype by Kyle Slattery, I might have omitted a few details that I should probably include in this entry.
First, is that I recommend deselecting the “When switching to an application, switch to a space with the open windows for the application” box. Â This will allow you to switch applications without switching Spaces.
Second, is that in order for Spaces preferences to take effect – you have to restart your Dock sometimes. Â I am not sure why, but this doesn’t happen to everyone. Â Here is the way John Gruber explained it in his aforelinked entry:
“Lastly, I should mention that I had problems getting this new feature to work at all. After upgrading to 10.5.3 and seeing the Spaces-related changes in the release notes, I tried it out. Toggling the new checkbox made no difference for me, however — I got the same old “jump to another space when switching apps†behavior either way. I solved the problem by trashing my com.apple.dock.plist preferences file (which, since Spaces is controlled by the Dock, is where most Spaces-related prefs seem to be stored). After logging out and logging back in, the new checkbox worked perfectly.”
And last, that I use the Cntrl+arrow keys to navigate around to different Spaces the majority of the time.  But, when I’m at home on my desk using my Might Mouse, I’ve set up the third-button ((Which is the equivalent of pushing down the scroll wheel.)) to also show my Spaces.  This makes it really easy to switch whether my hand is on the keyboard or the mouse at the time I need to switch.Â
Very interesting, Colin. I’ve been using Spaces since I installed Leopard and basically using it in the “application separation” mode the whole time. Reading your post has got me itching to go home and start trying it out this way instead. I’ve loved having it since the beginning, because I have a pretty small screen (17″ iMac… or is it 19″? it’s whatever the size they discontinued with the latest models is) but I think I could be even more productive if I were using it in the way you describe.
Chris Clark: The money feature is to uncheck the “When switching to an application, switch to a space with the open windows for the application” box. That makes all of what I describe possible.
Thanks! I’ll give it a try when I get home.
I wasn’t aware that 10.5.3 added that function. I use more application separation. Space 1 is Browsing, Reading, Writing, etc. Space 2 is Dev Space with TextMate, CSSEdit, Transmit, etc. Space 3 is iLife Space which is for iMovie, iTunes, iStopMotion, etc (any apps that take awhile like Toast when burning dvds, etc). Space 4 is Graphics which is for Photoshop, Vector Designer, Pixalmator, etc. I use dual monitors so my second monitor has twitterrific, Adium, Skype, Coversutra, etc so they are always open for me.
I will have to mess with Spaces a little more and uncheck that box.
I just do not get Spaces… I guess I don’t get distracted by open apps of different types being open on one “Space”. If I am doing a conversion of… lets say a DVD I just let run in the background. If I need to see it I just hit “Command-Tab” to switch to that program. Simple. I do not see it saving me any keystrokes/mouse clicks.
I guess this just proves that everyone’s mind works a little differently and thanks to Apple to allow us to set up our “Spaces” as we see fit.
Colin, Thanks. Very helpful. Could not find the box for the life of me. Just realized I’m on 10.5.2… Upgrading now. Good info.
~Jim
Good post. I don’t use spaces at all but some of the folks here do use it a bunch. I have not figured out any way it is better and expose, but based on this post, I will play around with it.
Nice article. I am hoping that in the future ‘Spaces’ didn’t have to be the same size. Some apps just do better in (or only do) a certain screen resolution. Spaces would make my killer app list if it could maintain different screen resolutions in different spaces.
Oops. I meant to say “don’t” instead of “didn’t”.
Here is trick for easy switching between spaces… all using the mouse (more convenient than using keys). In Expose Preferences, Set the Active Screen Corners – Top/Left = All Windows, Top/Right = Desktop, Bottom/Left = Screen Saver, Bottom/Right = *Spaces*. Then it is easy to click between windows. One other Tip (for EyeTV users) – Set in Spaces Preferences to make EyeTV visible in Every Space so you can view video across all screens.
Is it possible to to send a application from one space to other? for example, i have a terminal open on first space, and then want to send it to second one. In linux this is pretty straight forward, but i cant seem to be able to find the option in OS X.
khan: Click F8, then drag the application from one Space into another!
Chris, how do you keep the browser windows you mention in Spaces 1 and 4 (read/write and code) separate? The thing that has kept Spaces from being useful to me is the inability to pin down some Safari windows over there, while I work in other Safari windows over here. Using your model, any time I went to Space 4, all my Safari windows from Space 1 would come rushing over to join us.
And that’s precisely what I don’t want. Spaces should recognize that sometimes you use the same application for different tasks simultaneously, and that you don’t necessarily want to see all your app’s windows at once. But it doesn’t.
And by “Chris,” I meant “Colin.”
Crikey. Unemployment is rotting my brain right down to the stem.
I love using spaces (I use 9)! I have a question though:
Does anyone know how to project only ONE space (I use a DVI to Video adapter) and still be able to use the other spaces on my laptop screen. I would like to project video to my TV, while surfing the web in another space.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Collin, thanks for sharing with everyone how you use spaces… I’m going to start taking in action in the following ways that you are using spaces… Again, appreciate your column on this subject. Have a great day!
DM.
Good stuff and thanks for sharing. Previously, I had no interest nor need for spaces. However, I went with the 13in MacBook and now I find spaces invaluable. Spaces does a great job of making me forget about the 17in MacBook Pro I should have gotten
Below is how I use spaces:
Space 1 – Firefox
Space 2 – VMWare Fusion(Unity mode) Outlook
Space 3 – VMWare Fusion(Unity mode) RDP
Space 4 – VMWare Fusion(Unity mode) RDP
Space 5 – Media (slingbox, lastFM, iTunes)
Play around with VMWare Fusion in Unity mode and Spaces….you’ll find it a great combination.
Really helpful. Thanks for this, Collin. I have been using Spaces but never realized I could switch the moving to other spaces with open windows. I never bothered to explore the preference pane, Just pu in the maximum number of spaces I could and got at it. Now I’ll definitely explore it more.
Finally figured out how to setup a different Browser window in a different space.
1. Make sure to turn off the option under preferences “when switching to an application, switch to a space…”
2. Make sure that Firefox is not assigned to any of the workspaces at all. This may still work if it is assigned to 1 workspace. I had problems with it was assigned to all workspaces.
3. Now go to a space and open Firefox.
4. Go to a new space and open Firefox again. You won’t see anything other than the Firefox toolbar come to the forefront. From the toolbar choose “New Window”. This window is a separate instance of Firefox.
You can now switch between both spaces and have separate instances of Firefox running. I think this was the way the author was suggesting to use this feature. You could imagine a Finance workspace where you have a copy of Quicken running along with a Browser window with several tabs (e.g. Wells Fargo, ETrade, Mint).
Paul. Is a browser the only app which will allow a window in more than one space?
How about other apps? I would like to have a Excel file open in space #1, and another different Excel file open in space #2. If that’s possible, then it would be true task separation, rather than application separation.
Shirish: I believe you can split anything you’d like up. The reason you ‘assign’ applications to any given space is if you want that application to _only_ open in that space. However, if you want to split worksheets in Excel among multiple spaces you can.