I've been using linux on my desktop for about four months now and as a server for nearly a year. But since I nearly just turned on the server and let it be (other than updating it) I count myself as a relative newbie to Linux since I've only been heartily interacting with it for four months.

So it may be that I simply haven't has the paradigm shift yet, but what's the true benefit of having mutiple desktops and logins? I can understand the use of having multiple desktops for keeping the desktop from getting too cluttered, but is this truly a problem when an alt-tab can bring up whichever program you wish to work on? Or, I could give someone the fact that they could put stuff on a couple of desktops for organization, but to have the possibility in FC3 (and maybe other distros) for NINE desktops?!? That seems a little excessive, even by open source standards.

By the same token, why would you want to login more than once? Or is this mainly for multiple people to login to the same computer like M$'s fast switching (only, as I've heard, Linux implements this correctly)?

Thanks for the information. I'm quite anxious to hear what othes have to say. Perhaps someone has a compelling enough reason to cause me to see things fundamentally differently. I will then see my Windows computer as fundamentally flawed for not having multiple desktops (at least not without some kind of graphics card that my younger brother has)

Thanks,

I find that the multiple desktops are largely a tool for organization. They come in especially handy when working on large projects where you have several aspects in developement at once and don't want to get things mixed up. On large projects I find that I work the most efficiently with five desktops available to spread things out on. I've never known anyone who uses all nine, but I am sure a few folks out there do. Even for general work anymore I need at least two desktops, it just works so much better. On windows I find myself severely hampered. All those different trains of thought cluttering up the same desktop drives me crazy.

The multiple login thing is more of a server/mainframe-inspired feature. If you have multiple people using the same computer and you don't want them to view each other's files, then you will have each one log into his/her own designated memory space.

I myself have multiple desktops to keep things organized, and be visually more appealing. I have one desktop for web browsing, one for email, one for word processing, and so on. I don't think I've ever used more than six desktops at a time. Sometimes I use more, sometimes I use less, which is one reason I really like Window Maker. You can very easily remove and add a new desktop with a couple mouse clicks.
I'm usually logged in twice as user, and once as root. I'm logged in twice as user, because one login is in the X-server, and the other is not. I use command line, a lot, and I find that if I'm going to be using it for more than just a few commands, I prefer to use a regular terminal, rather than a terminal emulator, like xterm, or gnome-terminal. I login as root on another terminal, so that whenever I have to install software, I don't have to su (or even just sudo). I will also occasionally have a second X-server running briefly, if I install a new window manager, and want to try it out without logging out. But that's not really a seperate login.
Actually, Microsoft made a program that allows multiple desktops on Windows. It's hidden away deep on MS's website. You have to really look for it. But it works without any special graphics card. It only allows four desktops though, no more, no less. I was using it for a while, but I couldn't get used to multiple desktops on Windows, for some reason, even though I use them extensively on Linux. I think the reason was because I couldn't find a way to switch between desktops just with the keyboard, which is usually how I do on Linux. Anyway, it's a step in the right direction. Now if MS would only make Windows a Unix-variant (follow in Apple's footsteps), that'd be the best. It's too late for Longhorn, maybe Blackcomb could be WindowsX?