With multiple workspaces comes the ability to organize the desktop
environment freely, either by task, by application type, by
priority, or any other way you care to slice it. It's particularly
handy for keeping a handful of apps out of sight and out of mind,
without having to shut them down. To get workspaces on Windows,
however, you'll have to do some downloading.
XP users have an easy solution with the Microsoft Virtual
Desktop Manager, a free download from Microsoft's PowerToys
collection. For Vista, however, you'll have to turn to a
third-party utility. My favorite of these is a freebie called Dexpot,
which offers a wide variety of configuration options.
--Robert Strohmeyer