Tiles is the newest app in the Object Desktop lineup, and it’s main purpose is to manage running applications and windows on your desktop.  It is also useful to those who want to achieve a minimalistic desktop environment, and today I will show you how I did that using Tiles.

Right-clicking inside Tiles gives you a menu of various options, and here is where we will start.  Right-click and select Size and location, then select Hide taskbar.  As it says, this will hide your Windows taskbar clearing up a big part of your desktop.

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Really at this point, you are there already with a minimal desktop.  All you should have now is your wallpaper and Tiles, and since I use the smallest size of Tiles it is tucked away nicely on the right side of my screen.  I have a Tiles page setup that hold my frequently used shortcuts, and I set the date, time, and running tasks to be shown so I have just about everything I need in Tiles.

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Of course if you want to go the extra step, you can also auto hide Tiles and have just a tab showing to make it active.  That’s a little too minimal for my taste, but the options are there!

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More about Tiles here.


Comments (Page 2)
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on May 25, 2011

http://www.mediafire.com/?90car2vv9j22d4d

An example of what I meant by a menu can be seen in the upper right. It is label Launch and has button that generates a drop down.

As to the command prompt, when it is maximized and running (being filled with text) and you minimize and restore it the console moves up the screen.

on May 26, 2011

karmat
ID, can you reply on my comment above? I keep asking, but nobody answers :sad:

I'll ask WBlinds to take a look at it, I don't have an answer for it.

 

on May 26, 2011

I have to agree with impinc. Win7 comes with the ability to reduce things to the Taskbar. Hell, I don't even have the Computer shortcut up on the screen like him, just a series of rotating background images. As for the Start Menu, you can not only set the Taskbar to only pop up when you bring the mouse to the bottom, but you can pin things to the Start Menu's list, making it a huge list of quickly accessible apps. If done right, there is nothing but a vein at the bottom at the screen when idle.

Tiles would work wonder with Vista, no argument. Win7 I feel has pretty well taken this general idea into account.

on May 26, 2011

Just curious...how is Tiles different than ObjectDock in terms of functionality?  I'm also struggling to see the difference in function between Tiles and the Windows 7 Taskbar.  The only thing I can't use the Windows 7 Taskbar for right now is I can't put a folder on them.  The only thing I can't do with ObjectDock is get the Windows 7 preview tiles (the icon-sized preview just doesn't quite do it for me).

I'd love to see the WindowsFX version of tiles come back...those were pretty cool (speaking of which...I should see if that works on Windows 7...).

on May 26, 2011

Ynglaur
Just curious...how is Tiles different than ObjectDock in terms of functionality?  I'm also struggling to see the difference in function between Tiles and the Windows 7 Taskbar.  The only thing I can't use the Windows 7 Taskbar for right now is I can't put a folder on them.  The only thing I can't do with ObjectDock is get the Windows 7 preview tiles (the icon-sized preview just doesn't quite do it for me).

I'd love to see the WindowsFX version of tiles come back...those were pretty cool (speaking of which...I should see if that works on Windows 7...).

 

As far as folders are concerned, if you drag a folder onto the taskbar, it pins it to the favorite folder locations list. If you right click on the explorer icon in the taskbar, a list will come up with frequent places, and your pinned locations.

 

on May 26, 2011

impinc
As far as folders are concerned, if you drag a folder onto the taskbar, it pins it to the favorite folder locations list. If you right click on the explorer icon in the taskbar, a list will come up with frequent places, and your pinned locations.

That's what I'm talking about. Windows 7 wasn't my idea. I wouldn't have thought to do that.

on May 26, 2011

Give me Windows 7-style previews (popup tiles) on ObjectDock, and I could get rid of the Windows 7 Taskbar.

on May 26, 2011

Ynglaur
Give me Windows 7-style previews (popup tiles) on ObjectDock, and I could get rid of the Windows 7 Taskbar.

You can have that with Nexus. I would love to see it with OD as well.

on May 26, 2011

Okay, I'm stupid.  I just figured out ObjectDock2 has this functionality.  When I tested it before, I was using Firefox...which doesn't currently support this even on the Windows 7 Taskbar.  (Neither does Chrome, btw).  Time to try Life Without the Taskbar.

Btw, is there any way to speed up the preview?  It has a slight pause even on the Taskbar...I'd love for it to be instantaneous.

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