A preview release of alternative desktop software Spring is now available. This curious application seeks to create a different kind of desktop, presenting everything from contact information to travel reservations as “conceptual” objects that can be spread out over a “canvas” for manipulation, with drag-and-drop creating relationships between them. The idea looks to be a little early in its development, and only time will see if something like this catches on, but the first version is downloadable and open standards will allow developers to write their own objects.