Mac Law Students

I don’t know about the majority of law students, seeing as how I am a mere 1L, but when in class I have so many windows up that Exposé cowers in fear. From iCal to iProcrastinate, from Word to Preview, I had no idea what was going on with my computer. That was, until VirtueDesktops.

VirtueDesktops is a program that sits neatly in your menu bar, while giving you tons of functionality. In a nutshell, VD (as I have come to call it) gives you tons of space. But seriously, all puns aside, VirtueDesktops allows you to create as many desktops as you might need. And best of all, it’s FREE!!

VirtueDesktops has become one of my favorite programs. In class, I have one screen for the Lexis case we are working on, one for my brief, and one for the outline I make during class. All three desktops can be accessed via key command. I like to use command+arrows in the direction I want the desktop to move. You can even customize each desktop with a different wallpaper, and put text on it to remind you what you wanted to do on it.

Nowadays in all of my advanced second semester glory, I use nine desktops. I do this because I want each desktop, for the most part, to be dedicated to a program. For instance, one desktop is for chat, another for mail etc. I know what you’re thinking: “But Gianpaolo, how can you possibly remember where each desktop is in relation to the arrow keys?” Big brain, photographic memory…you know… . Nah, I use the pager. The pager is a graphical display that pops up via key command (mine is F12) and shows you which desktop you are on, and all the others you have. Simply arrow over, or click on, the desktop you want and voila! you are there! You can also switch desktops by clicking the icon in the menu bar, which will cause a list of all of you desktops appear.

Another cool feature in VirtueDesktops is the ability to bind applications. If you want one of your desktops to cover your chatting needs, simply go to that desktop, click the button in the menu bar, inspect the desktop and click the bind button. Add all of your chat, or any other for that matter, programs to that list, and anytime you click that application, VirtueDesktops will automatically move you to that desktop.

“But Gianpaolo, Leopard has Spaces, so why do this?” Well Mr. Richie McRich, I don’t have $129.99 right after Christmas. So for all you folks out their who can’t wait until Leopard, like the interface better, or are just to broke like most law students, get VirtueDesktops. It just might save you