Vista/XP VDM is a virtual desktop manager by Codeplex that reminds you of its Linux or Mac [built-in] counterparts. It allows for the organization of currently active windows. Just move them to either one of the workspaces by pressing the Windows Key + Number on the keyboard. Navigating between desktops is easy thanks to the Windows Key + Arrow keystrokes. Also, a mouse-based navigation is available by clicking on the tray icon. Striking Windows Key + F9 initiates a [Mac] Exposé-like overview.
Being the control-freak I am, I largely prefer to have things organized and easily accessible while working or browsing the web. Admittedly, the [integrated] Linux-version of the virtual desktop concept (which has been around for many, many years) is way more attractive and proven. But its basic feature-set is all you need, really. It could do with some further refinements, but on the whole, it’s already a pretty neat solution to a much needed (though niche/power-user) feature in Windows.
I’ve tried numerous other solutions, including Microsoft’s own Virtual Desktop PowerToy (only for Windows XP — available here), though I like this project best, mainly because of its potential evolution.
The latest version of this app is 0.7RC, which clearly indicates it’s still heavily in development. Nonetheless, it’s stable with a few minor glitches. Its feature set is limited, but look at it as simplicity, not lacking :-). And heck, it’s free, too.
P.S.: Naturally, the hotkeys and number of virtual desktops are configurable.
A recommended download for the perseverant multi-tasker :-).
An FTP-client is one of the core needs of a web developer/designer, so it’s extremely important this shackle in the chain is as solid as possible. But why invest in yet another dedicated application? Most shells (Windows, Linux, Mac) do FTP in an integrated fashion. Dreamweaver has this functionality built in through their Site Management pane… But:
FileZilla is a free application and gets the job done just as its commercial siblings do. It’s UI’s simplicity is familiar, powerful and feature-complete.
- All major protocols supported (FTP, FTPS, SFTP)
- Multi-lingual
- Pause/Resume, also for large files (>4GB)
- Site Manager to save frequently used FTP-sites
- Drag & Drop
- Speed Limits are configurable
- Filename filtering
- Wizards
FileZilla is multi-platform with builds for Windows 2000/XP/Vista, Linux and Mac OS X (PPC G4 & Intel).
Recommended.
I’ve come to appreciate Notepad++ as a full-blown source code editor, whereas in the past it used to be a second-class citizen, somewhat. I kept it around because it operates and loads blazingly fast, especially handy when you don’t have the time to start Dreamweaver. Though Notepad++ is a lot more than a quick app…
It supports everything you’d expect from a well-seasoned code editor, amongst other features:
- Syntax Highlighting & Syntax Folding
- User Defined Syntax Highlighting
- Code Auto-completion
- Regular Expression Search/Replace
- Zooming
- Brace & Indent Highlighting
- Macros
- Integration into the shell
You should see Notepad++ as an all-round replacement for Windows’ built-in Notepad and a lot more. It supports a vast array of programming languages, yet is specialized enough to be used for web authoring, too: it’ll recognize nested languages effortlessly, e.g. XHTML, CSS, PHP and Javascript in one page.
Notepad++ is completely free of charge and subject to the GPL license.
