Copyright: Super Desk Ver 2.0 Help
Citation: Super Desk Ver 2.0 Help


Contents
Super Desk Help Contents

Introduction

What’s New in Version 2.0

Configuration

Mouse and Keyboard Usage

Tricks and Tips

Registration Information


Introduction

Super Desk is a Windows 95 utility which can make your working area a lot larger than your physical screen (up to 2,500 times) by creating virtual desktops. And your physical screen acts as a viewport over one of the desktops.

 Super Desk Window (4 x 4 shown here)

You may click on different area of the Super Desk window shown above and see how Super Desk works.

Each desktop is shown as a grid in the Super Desk window, and the application you open are shown as representative icons hanging around the grids. Your physical screen shows the desktop corresponding to the highlighted grid and the open programs located within it. Switch between grids just by clicking on them. Open programs into the grid of your choice, and rearrange programs by dragging them from grid to grid. In Super Desk, the same functionality can also be invoked on the real desktop. Switch between desktops can be done just by moving the mouse cursor across the edge of the screen. Drag and rearrange open programs from desktop to desktop can be done in a similar effortless way.


What's New in Version 2.0
What’s New in Version 2.0

Super Desk Version 2.0 has added and improved a number of features.

1. Virtual Desktop Crossing: The most heartening new feature for Version 2.0. Super Desk now allows you to switch your desktop or move applications across desktops straight from your current desktop. Simply move the mouse cursor, or drag an application window by its title bar toward the edge of the screen. If there is another desktop next to that edge, you may cross the desktops. The followings are the four options you can have in configuration for crossing the border:

Free Crossing

Knock Knock

With Shift-Ctrl

Can Not Cross

2. Tooltips: Place the mouse cursor on an icon in the Super Desk window for a second, a tooltip will pop up and inform you the title of the application that icon corresponds to. This is to help guide you what application you are currently pointing to.

3. Shortcuts: On desktop, on StartUp, or on Start menu, Super Desk can create or remove these three shortcuts for you.

4. Hide/Show Super Desk Window: Although there is no minimize button on the title bar of the Super Desk window (This is done on purpose so that one can shrink the width of the Super Desk window as much as possible - a feature particularly handy for single-column configuration), you can always hide the Super Desk window by double clicking on the title bar. And bring it back up just by a click on the Super Desk taskbar button, or the Super Desk icon in the system tray.

5. New Functions for System Tray Icon: There is a system tray icon for Super Desk when the Super Desk program is active. Click left mouse button on the system tray icon will bring Super Desk window up on top whether it is minimized or buried over by other windows. Click right mouse button on the system tray icon will bring up the pop-up menu as well.

6. Real-Time Response When You Have Windows 95 Plus!: With Windows 95 Plus!, the corresponding icon in the Super Desk window moves in real time when you are moving the application. (Otherwise, you see a moving frame when you drag the mouse, and the icon and the window move along only after you release the mouse.)


Configuration

Things that are configurable include: the number of rows and columns for grids, options for virtual desktop crossing, always on top, and title bar on/off.

You may click on items in the following picture and see how configuration works in Super Desk.

You can have peace in mind that no matter what number of grids you set in the configuration, no application will be lost, even if you size down the number of desktops. In that case your open applications will just be re-distributed over the new desktops.

Virtual desktop crossing is a new major feature for this version. Check it out!


Mouse and Keyboard Usage

In client area of Super Desk window

  single click	left mouse button	- select desktop (if click on grid)

- above + activate application (if click on icon)

  drag	left mouse button	- move application

  single click	right mouse button	- bring up pop-up menu

   	F1	- help

On title bar of Super Desk window

  double click     	left mouse button	- minimize Super Desk window

On the desktop

  move*	mouse	- switch desktop

  drag* 	left mouse button	- move application to other desktop

*  denotes the usage may also require extra mouse or keyboard actions. It depends on how you configure your ‘Virtual Desktop Crossing’.

On system tray icon

  single click	left mouse button	- bring up Super Desk window

  single click	right mouse button	- bring up pop-up menu


Tricks and Tips

Quick Way to Windows 95 Desktop Shortcuts

Ever have the situation that the working area is so cluttered that you have to close or move a lot of applications around in order to reach the Windows 95 desktop shortcuts buried over? Not any more. In Super Desk, you can click on a clean working desktop with all your Windows 95 desktop shortcuts visible and go from there.

Restart Super Desk after Resolution is Changed

After changing the resolution of your display you will need to restart Super Desk in order for it to function properly.

Make Super Desk Space Friendly

Since from now on you can switch your desktop or move applications across desktops straight from your current desktop, you can have a very space friendly Super Desk window - even if you’ve got lots of desktops - by making each grid very small. You then use the Super Desk window as a visual guide, and perform all the desktop switching and application moving from your current desktop instead of the Super Desk window. For example:


Registration Information

Thank you for acquiring a copy of Super Desk, a pretty nifty Windows 95 program. We hope you enjoy using it, as we have enjoyed writing it.

Super Desk licenses are US $19.95 each. Checks, money orders, and purchase orders are accepted. Credit cards are not. All  forms of payment must be payable in US Funds. Checks must be payable through a US bank (or a US branch of a non-US bank).

If you have decided to keep a copy of  Super Desk and would like to register, please print out registration form (Regform.txt) and send it along with your payment to us. All payments should be payable to 'Jih-tung Pai', and mailed to:

Jih-tung Pai

7640 West Greenway Blvd. #6N

Dallas, TX 75209

USA

Benefits:

1. You will receive a user ID and a password to unlock Super Desk and own the copy.

2. Free upgrade forever!

3. Technical support.

4. Update of FAQ

Important Notice

This software is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages arising from the use of this software.

Site Licenses

If you are planning to purchase 10 or more licenses, site licenses are available, at a substantial discount. If you are interested in obtaining a site license, please contact the authors.

Please address all questions, comments, bug reports to our email address:

jpai@rocketmail.com

or write us as follows:

Jih-tung Pai (author)

Ching-Man Fu (author)

7640 West Greenway Blvd. #6N

Dallas, TX 75209

USA

We will respond immediately.

Jih-tung Pai

Ching-Man Fu

THE PAI GROUP

July, 1997


Click left mouse button on an icon will activate the corresponding application, and switch your desktop to the one that particular application is in, if not already there. Drag an icon from gird to grid will rearrange the corresponding application. Click right mouse button on any spot of the client area will always bring up the pop-up menu.


Click left mouse button on a grid will bring the corresponding desktop on screen, since each desktop is shown as a grid in the Super Desk window, and has the size of your physical screen. Click right mouse button on any spot of the client area will always bring up the pop-up menu.


Double click on the title bar will minimize the Super Desk window. To bring it back up, click on the Super Desk taskbar button or the Super Desk icon in the system tray.


Switch to nearby desktop simply as the mouse cursor hits the edge of the screen. Good for people who always mind their mouse cursor whereabouts. If you are concerned that a loose mouse movement will get the desktop switched accidentally, you might consider the other two options, 'Knock Knock' and 'With Shift-Ctrl', where the switch takes place only after a certain pattern of actions are performed.


After the mouse cursor hits the edge, you have to move the mouse cursor back a bit and hit the edge again within a certain time frame in order to switch to the nearby desktop. This movement, when done properly, is like knocking on the edge twice, hence the name 'Knock Knock'. This option serves as an alternative to the ‘With Shift-Ctrl’ option. Both are for people who would like their desktop switched only under some restraint.


As the mouse cursor hits the edge, you press down Shift and Ctrl keys to allow switch over to take place. This option serves as an alternative to the 'Knock Knock' option. Both are for people who would like their desktop switched only under certain restraint.


Select this option if you want to disable virtual desktop crossing. Therefore, you can only switch desktops or move open applications around by operations in the Super Desk window.


The highlighted grid indicates the desktop which you currently view on screen.


Pop-Up Menu

Click right mouse button on any spot of Super Desk client area will bring up a menu as follows:

You may click on each item and see how pop-up menu works in Super Desk.


Bring up Super Desk Help.


Exit Super Desk.


Bring up About Super Desk.


Show tooltips after you place your mouse cursor on an representative icon for a second.


You can change the number of rows and columns of grids you have for Super Desk by setting the parameters ‘Rows’ and ‘Columns’.


Change number of rows of the grids in Super Desk.


Change number of columns of the grids in Super Desk.


Turn title bar on or off. You need the title bar to move Super Desk around, but by turning it off you can save some space.


Turn it on to have Super Desk always stay on top, so it can be easily accessed. Turn it off so the Super Desk window behaves just like other windows.


Things that are configurable include: the number of rows and columns for grids, options for virtual desktop crossing, always on top, and title bar on/off.


Create or remove three kinds of shortcuts for you.


Save options, including size, location and configuration of the Super Desk window. Upon exit Super Desk these options will also be saved.