Useful utility: Clean Slate (replaces DeskShade)

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Mon Aug 22, 2011 1:23 am

Just wanted to pass this little gem along:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clean-sl ... 6499?mt=12" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's only a $1.99. This hides the clutter on your desktop if you have a bunch of icons on it like I do. I find it clears my mind to be able to hide all that business when I launch DP. I was using DeskShade but it hadn't been updated since 2007 or so and it was buggy with my 2nd monitor.

Clean Slate works really well. I'm using it now and trashed DeskShade. You can use a hot key to hide all the desktop icons just like DeskShade and better still it's scriptable. This is very cool because I had used Automator to make a workflow or whatever that with one hotkey combo, Ctrl+Opt+Cmd+D, I automatically quit all open apps, launch Liquid Mix, pause, launch DP. I had to always manually hide the desktop with DeskShade. Now with Clean Slate that's part of the process. I at anytime I can hit that key combo, my desktop becomes clean and blank, and Liquid Mix loads and then DP loads.

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:00 am

Looks great! What a great idea; it just makes them all disappear! James, do they fade gradually, or is it instantaneous? I'd probably sit there clicking it over and over. "Icons fade in… icons fade out… icons fade in… icons fade out…"

Shoosh

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Mon Aug 22, 2011 10:34 am

I think it's a very fast fade. I haven't looked at all the features, but similar to DeskShade you can have your desktop hide all the icons with your usual desktop background or you can designate a particular photo to cover it. There's info at that link.

buzzsmith · Post by **buzzsmith** » Mon Aug 22, 2011 12:29 pm

I downloaded this morning. Right now, it's near instant. I haven't looked at the preferences yet (if there are any).

I like the cleaner uncluttered desktop, yet the "clutter" is only a Shift-Command-2 away.

Buzzy

mrbillet · Post by **mrbillet** » Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:54 pm

Thanks for the heads up. I bought it immediately. I like it!

-Ian

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:25 pm

buzzsmith wrote:I like the cleaner uncluttered desktop, yet the "clutter" is only a Shift-Command-2 away.

Yep... and you can configure the hotkey anyway you like. I have an extended keyboard so I'm using F19. Just one button sweeps all the clutter under the rug!

buzzsmith · Post by **buzzsmith** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 5:53 am

It impressed a client yesterday. That's worth something!

Buzzy

Armageddon · Post by **Armageddon** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 6:24 am

I've always just "picked my battles" in regards to my desktop icons and only made ones for stuff I really, really, really need icons for (double goes for my Dock), but this sounds cool!

FMiguelez · Post by **FMiguelez** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 7:58 am

.

But you guys will have to eventually clean up the mess in your Desktops anyway

Sometime ago I made a script that moves all the files in the Desktop to a "to be sorted out" folder in my Documents. Now my desktop is always clean, but I have such a mess in that folder...

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