Use Spaces on Your Mac to Manage Productivity and Social Spheres

My Spaces in action. Photo courtesy of author's screenshot.When Mac OS X introduced Spaces with Leopard, it institutionalized the concept of multiple desktops to Mac users, something most Linux users and some Windows users had been using for years. The productivity line on multiple desktops is still blurry - some belive that one single desktop is more beneficial for work, while others like to divvy up their life into different departments.

I used to be a multiple desktop devotee, but in recent years, had slipped out of the habits. In Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, full-screen apps were introduced as separate multiple desktops, and it was time for me to attempt another experiment. This time, I was serious.

I always broke down my 4 Spaces (no more) like this: Web, Social, Productivity, and Fun. Descriptions after the jump!

Space 1: Web consisted of my web browser and not much else. It allowed me to browse in Chrome wherever I pleased, without the distraction of any other applications.

Space 2: Social contained my Skype, Twitter client, IRC chat, AIM and Facebook chats, and any other main sources of communication.

Space 3: Productivity always included Evernote, my mail client, and an RSS reader. Also a Word document or a PowerPoint presentation if I was doing schoolwork.

Space 4: Fun was for iTunes, Spotify, Netflix, and any games I had opened.

Breaking down one's desktop GUI like this might sound anal, but it was what kept me at the best of my game. I never would have to browse aimlessly while I was trying to focus. Let Spaces do the dirty work for you.