community.linuxmint.com

1. Problem Description

There are people, who tend to keep many work contexts,
which results in a large amount of windows persisting
for extended amounts of time.

As the amount of windows increases, the linear arrangement
of workspaces becomes more and more stifling -- at about
seven of them, or so (this, obviously varies, from person
to person), it starts defeating our spatial memory and reflexes,
complicating window management and navigation.

Humans are comfortable with operation in three dimensions,
and so the restriction to a single dimension, given
that it limits our ability to manage windows, looks
unreasonable.

2. Proposal

Increase the workspace layout dimensionality limit to two,
by allowing for a rectangular grid arrangement.

This will allow to untap the underutilised spatial memory
and operation resources of our brain for window management.

Note, that while three-dimensional layout would be still closer
to a more complete exploitation of our innate capabilities,
the current state of interface mechanisms, the supporting
software stack and the scope of the Cinnamon project,
in particular, more or less preclude it.

None of the listed fundamental problems with the three-dimensionall
layout apply to the two-dimensional arrangement.

3. Current Practice:

Enlightenment (both DR16 and DR17), Unity, KWin, Metacity and
Compiz allow for a rectangular grid workspace layout.

Cinnamon and Gnome Shell only allow for a linear workspace
arrangement.

4. Cost to implementors

Unknown, but probably relatively small.

5. Cost to users

None. This is an upward-compatible addition.

6. Benefits

Increased potential for window management.
More workflows are enabled.

7. Discussion

http://forum.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=86414
http://lwn.net/Articles/466840/