Virtual desktops are very common in Unix/Linux. If your interested in getting one for Windows, I have listed few utilities.

1. Microsoft’s Virtual Desktop Manager for Windows XP: It is basic and simple utility compact in size.

• Download a small utility called Virtual Desktop Manager from Microsoft’s PowerToys download page.
• Install the utility.
• To enable it right click on your taskbar, go to the Toolbars menu, and select Desktop Manager.

Virtual Desktop Powertoy

It is lacking in some of the features found in most other applications. Microsoft currently offers a utility called Desktops which allows users to run applications on up to 4 virtual desktops.

Desktops

2. VirtuaWin – The Virtual Desktop Manager: VirtuaWin is designed to be simple and elegant to use yet still be highly configurable and extensible. It is fairly easy to configure and run VirtuaWin in your system.

3. Dexpot: It is another virtual desktop manager for Windows. It will allow the user to create up to 20 virtual desktops. It has attractive interface, ease of use, various language versions and features list. Different icons, wallpapers, start-ups, and much more can be configured for each desktop.

4. Virtual Dimension: Virtual Dimension is a free, fast, and feature-full virtual desktop manager for Windows platform. It is fast, small in size utility and easy to install, configure and use. It has numerous features like unlimited number of desktops, optional preview window, allowing to select the desktop to switch to, and to access many of the functions, specific settings for each desktop (wallpaper, desktop background color, …) etc.

5. MicroDesk: It is another virtual desktop program, which can create up to 99 virtual desktops that help you organize the current open applications and they’re afferent windows. It comes with more standard features, configuration of each desktop, an attractive interface and a configurable transparent menu.

Virtual desktops are very common in Unix/Linux, and once you get accustomed to using them, they become an essential part of a productive workflow.