One of the things I have always loved about Linux is the multple desktops that are available (usually 4) and the fact that you can set them up with nearly all te apps you use already open and running on boot.
For example, mail and rss on screen 4, browser to internal server on screen 3, teminal on screen 2 and screen 1 blank.
It’s great, and it has always annoyed me that Windows didn’t do it.
Well do it as well. Microsoft released a power tool (you can find a full list of the toys here) called Virtual Desktop Manager, It lets you manage up to four desktops from the Windows taskbarand it was OK but it would only give you the desktops not the setup. I tried it out for a week on my laptop and uninstalled it. ANd it only worked on XP.
Now here is the good news. I recently I found Dexpot, and this is more like it. It can happliy handle up to 20 desktops (not to say your PC can) and supports Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003/Vista. The 2000 support is important because I still use Windows 2000 a lot my clients.
Take it as read that a lot of video memory would be a good thing and forget trying to run a copy of {insert your favourite 3d game here} on a spare desktop. But if you are like me and have way more stuff open than is good for you (or your PC) have a look at this. And it opens Firefox on Screen 3 and Thunderbird on Screen 4. Very cool.
Not open source but free for personal use and dirt cheap for commercial use. Give it a shot.