DeskPins

DeskPins is a utility that gives users the freedom to make any other program's windows the topmost object on their home screen. This is similar to the functionality provided by the "Always on Top" option offered by some Windows applications. All it takes to pin an object to the desktop is a single mouse gesture.

Users grab an icon from the DeskPins widget and drag it over to the window that they want to hover over everything else. Since the main widget always lives in the system tray, it shouldn't ever be difficult to find. As soon as they drag an icon over to the title bar of a window, that window will stay on top of all the others. When more than one window gets pinned to the desktop, they're only allowed to overlap one another since they'll still hover over everything else.

Savvy users can rely on this quirk to prioritize the applications that they're working with. This is especially useful for netizens who have to have a large number of documents open while they're occasionally glancing over at a web browser. Though the interface itself might take a little practice to get used to, most people shouldn't experience too much difficulty with it.

Switching between different programs can sometimes introduce lag into one's workflows, but this isn't so much a problem with DeskPins as it is with the way users might end up deploying the software. It's very easy to get carried away and start opening dozens of windows since DeskPins will help to keep the clutter out of the way.

Once users get acquainted with DeskPins, however, they might quickly learn that they don't need to open very many windows to get work done. It can help to keep a snippets file over an integrated development environment, for instance, which should help to dramatically reduce the amount of work needed to accomplish certain coding tasks.

Startup programs that immediately launch when a system gets booted don't receive any special treatment from DeskPins either. That means if a user pins an application while another is loading they'll still get to enjoy the one they pinned on top. Programs that carry ads and other annoyances can get shoved to the bottom of the stack, thus making it easier to focus on what's really important at any given time.

People who watch movies while they work might be among those who would best like DeskPins. The app makes it easy to pin a small window over a much larger workspace so you can binge your favorite shows while you're typing away at your latest blog post. Best of all, the program barely adds any notable amount of overhead to the existing window manager's memory footprint so it shouldn't eat up too much RAM.

Pros

• Pins application windows above others
• Keeps programs floating over the desktop
• Prioritizes different pieces of software

Cons

• Has a somewhat awkward interface
• Can lag when switching applications