Deskloops: A Not-So-Common Cure for Desktop Clutter Syndrome Cruising the Strip Joseph Moran
Cruising the Strip
The best way to manage a loop and the applications within is by using the Deskloops Strip, which can be summoned by clicking anywhere along the top edge of the screen. The strip displays thumbnail images of all open windows (along with a tally of how many windows there are) in your loop.
You can access different items by scrolling through the strip thumbnails the same way you would the actual windows in the loop. Clicking on a particular thumbnail will bring that window to the fore, and each thumbnail also has minimize, maximize, and close buttons.
You can rearrange your loop by dragging and dropping thumbnails around, which will reposition the loop's applications. To enlarge (or shrink) the thumbnails, you can resize the strip by dragging its edge in the same way that you would the Windows Taskbar (it's not always easy to discern between similar-looking applications by viewing the thumbnails.) The transparency level of the strip can also be adjusted, and made opaque if desired.
You can also use the strip to close a loop, which will in turn close all of the loop's constituent applications. Although Xilokit touts Deskloops' ability to close all open applications with a single click in this fashion, (two actually, if you count the inevitable confirmation dialog) the process may not be quite so simple in practice — if your loop contains any applications with unsaved information each one will prompt you to save (as they should) before the application will shut down.
Beyond its ability to manage the contents of a loop, you can also use the strip to save multiple loops and then reopen them again later. You can e-mail your saved loops to any other Deskloops user. While the ability to save loops may sometimes come in handy, there is a significant limitation in that the feature currently seems to work only with browser windows. Therefore, if you save a loop that contains an application (say, your word processor or MP3 player, for example) it won't be there when you reopen that loop later.
The Bottom Line
In truth, the window-clutter problem that Deskloops addresses is also ameliorated to some extent by using a Web browser with a tabbed interface like Mozilla FireFox or the forthcoming Internet Explorer 7. The example that Xilokit uses on its site is checking a half-dozen travel sites to book a flight online, and having to jump back and forth between as many browser windows to compare them. Deskloops does have the notable advantage of working with applications as well as Web pages, though it certainly would be nice if you could retain application windows within saved loops.
Deskloops' window management paradigm certainly has its merits, and given that it's free, it's certainly worth a look for anyone who doesn't care for the normal method of sorting through myriad open windows. The Deskloops environment does takes some time to get used to, and fortunately Xilokit offers helpful video tutorials on its Web site. If desired, you can continue to use conventional methods of window selection like the Taskbar or Alt-Tab to interact with your loop, which can be a useful hybrid approach while you're getting acclimated to the software.
Pros: Reduces desktop clutter by aligning open windows in a virtual loop, Windows strip allows for quick switching between apps, freeware
Cons: Loop save feature doesn't work with application windows (only browser windows), "looping" between Windows can be a bit disorienting at first and can delay quick window switching at times
