Annoying Spaces

One of the features I eagerly looked forward to in Leopard was Spaces. After using multiple desktops (also known as Workspaces) in Linux, I always missed that feature in OS X and Windows. When it was announced, I assumed that Spaces in OS X would be exactly identical to multiple desktops in Linux. That, I realize now, was a wrong assumption.

As much as I like Spaces, I feel that it is half baked and nowhere as powerful and/or useful as the multiple desktops in Linux. Here are a few annoying things I noticed:

• I use two spaces most of the time; one for work-related windows and the other for e-mail, IM, web browsing and other stuff. However, there is an overlap in the apps I use for work and personal stuff. For example, I use several web-based applications as a part of my research work and so, I use firefox for both work and personal stuff. Now, say, I open up firefox window in my 'Work' space and start doing something. After a little while when I feel like checking my e-mail and go to 'Personal' space and click on the firefox icon in the dock, I expect to see a new firefox window open up in 'Personal' space. However, that does not happen. A click on the firefox icon in the dock, whichever space I am in, will take me to 'Work' space where a firefox window is already open. Thus, I am forced to use different browsers for Work and Personal uses. This happens with each and every program (for example, Adobe Acrobat and Preview). One might say, I can open a new firefox window and use it in a different Space. Unlike with Safari, right click (or Ctrl+Click) on the Firefox icon in the dock does not give you a choice to open a new window. So, I have to open a new window of Firefox by going to the 'File' menu (or by Cmd+N) and drag it into a different space.
  

• Cmd+Tab cycles through all the 'Applications' (as opposed to 'Windows' in Linux or Windows). That is not a big issue when one has only one Space. However, when I have multiple windows of an application are open in different Spaces, it becomes an annoyance. Let me explain in a scenario: open Firefox window in Space 1 - call it Firefox window #1. Then open another Firefox window in Space 1 and drag it into Space 2 - call it Firefox Window #2 (you cannot open another Firefox window in Space 2 directly, remember?). If you use Cmd+Tab to go back to Firefox from any other program open in any Space it will by default take you to Firefox Window #1 in Space 1. In order to get back to Firefox Window #2, one has to use Cmd+~. Now, close Firefox Window #1 in Space 1. If you use Cmd+Tab to get back to Firefox from any other program, you expect to get to Firefox Window #2 in Space 2 because it is the only Firefox Window now open - right? But it does not happen. It will take you to Firefox (in Space 1) but because it cannot find Firefox Window #1 there it will just activate the Firefox application - you can see it in the menu bar and that is all. If you want to go to Firefox Window #2 you should click on 'Window' and select the Firefox Window #2 (whatever it's name is). What a pain!

• When working with, say, Firefox in Space #1 where a Finder window is also open and go to Space #2 to check something in another Finder window in Space #2; Finder window in Space #1 is activated when I get back (I expect Firefox to be active - as I left before I switched to Space #2). Exact same behavior with Safari windows too.

• [Added 12/29/07] Just noticed this; I had a few apps running in Space #1 (Finder, NeoOffice, a window of Firefox, Thunderbird and Adium to be specific) and was browsing internet (so the Firefox window was the one on top). I decided to check what is open in other Spaces. So, I started going to other Spaces using the Ctrl+arrow keys. Nothing was open in other Spaces. By the time I came back to the first Space, instead of Firefox window (which was on the top of all other windows when I left Space #1) Finder window appeared on the top! This happens even when I try it the Ctrl+[number] way. This does not happen when there are no Finder windows open in Space #1 (I return to active Firefox window only).
  

So far, these are all. The list might seem small, but the issues are important enough for me to stop using Spaces.