Dexpot : Virtual Desktops for Windows PC

The ability to switch to alternate virtual desktops is the one feature still missing from the Windows operating system while it is available to both the Mac and Linux users. The virtual desktops make it easy for the users to divide their work in different workplaces. For example, you can use one virtual desktop for accessing social websites, another for work related activities, third one for playing music and so on. The virtual desktops allow you to neatly arrange your computing activities so that you do not have to go through a series of open windows in order to find the one you are looking for. If you want the virtual desktop feature in the Windows PC, then you can use the freeware Dexpot. The Dexpot software allows you to add up to 20 virtual desktops to Windows.

You can download Dexpot from the Dexpot software website. After the installation, it loads 4 virtual desktops (you can add more later) and puts an icon in the system tray of Windows. You can right-click on this icon and select any virtual desktop you want to switch to. On each of these virtual desktops, you can open new windows and applications as you wish.

Dexpot - Virtual Desktops for Windows

Dexpot has two fabulous features – Windows catalog and Full-screen preview (both accessible through the system tray icon menu). The windows catalog feature shows all the open windows in the current virtual desktop, allows you to switch across them and drag-n-drop them to other virtual desktops. The full-screen preview shows the previews of what the virtual desktops look like currently. You can click on any of the preview boxes to switch to that virtual desktop.

Dexpot - Virtual Desktops for Windows

If you want to give each of the virtual desktops a different look of its own, then Dexpot allows you to configure that too. You can access Configure Desktops feature from the system tray icon menu. This allows you to choose background wallpaper, desktop resolution, screensaver, password, startup commands and many more other options for each of the virtual desktops.

Dexpot - Virtual Desktops for Windows

If you do not want to manually switch an application to a particular desktop, then Dexpot allows you to assign applications to a different virtual desktops through the Assign applications feature. Here you can set an application to be automatically launched in a particular virtual desktop. For example, you can set Notepad to be launched in Desktop 3, so no matter where you run Notepad it will automatically launched and switched to Desktop 3. This is an easy way to separate work related apps from fun activities.

Dexpot - Virtual Desktops for Windows

The settings for Dexpot can be opened from the system tray icon. In the settings, you can choose the number of virtual desktops (the more virtual desktops you assign, the more memory is consumed), whether to auto-start Dexpot with Windows, appearance of the full-screen mode and system tray icons, hotkeys for switching through the virtual desktops, add many plugins to further enhance the virtual desktop experience and more.

Dexpot - Virtual Desktops for Windows

Conclusion: There are many virtual desktop applications available for Windows, but Dexpot is the most powerful, feature rich and customizable of them all. It integrates well into Windows operating system and makes it look like an inherent part of the Windows itself. It is not only a work horse but also comes with some eye pleasing 3D rotation effects when you switch virtual desktops.

You can download Dexpot from http://www.dexpot.de/.