Poll: Do you use Exposé regularly?

[MacRumors]

Vote: Poll: Do you use Exposé regularly? (http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=317)

[Sabenth]

great feature thats all i can say usefull even on small screens and makes you work twice as fast well at least for me it dose

[Fahd]

Yup, gotta have its like using ALT + TAB on a PC! :D

[Doctor Q]

Exposé is powerful stuff. I got hooked very quickly. Now I can't live without it! I used to open 4, 5, maybe 6 apps at once, because I'd soon lose my windows with any more. Now I can open 10 apps and find them anytime I need to. I can generate all the window clutter I want without ever having to face the consequences. It's like having a personal Macmaid or Macbutler!

[Nermal]

So far, everyone who has Panther uses Exposé. I'd like to, but I don't have Panther yet :(

[Superdrive]

I find it essential to open as many windows as I can and then use Exposé for my friends. They are jealous of my mac.

[Xero]

Speaking most importantly from a Musical point of view... i couldnt live without Exposé now, it makes life SOO much easier, and more enjoyable, especially when working with Audio. not only is it easier to manage windows for instruments, sequencer, mixer, effects, inputs, etc... but the best, is being able to quickly shrink down, say the sequencer and Mixer, and monitoring everything at once. :o Just Brilliant. :D

And yes, Exposé is also very effective at making people jealous, and hopefully, eventually switching them too!!

[evil_santa]

I tend to minimize windows a lot, so Im a little disapointed that it doesnt show these as well, if it did i would use it more. It was one of the features that I got 10.3 for.

[Buggy]

I love it, but when I am working quickly, I often catch myself, minimizing or clicking through windows, only to stop part way and go

"I could have expose'd that!"

Still not part of my regular routine, but it soon will be. I will know for sure the first time I try to hit f8 in a PC, and swear...

[Paul Turpin]

Yes - using it all the time - and loving it esp on my G4 12".
I find myself going for it and being disappointed on any of my non-panther machines!

[crenz]

There should be an option to show minimized and hidden windows as well. That would make it so much more useful more me...

[Stella]

Essential.

Having used it, I now take the view:
Any OS that doesn't have Expose is extremely unusable.

[punter]

it's so good for dragging files (photos perhaps) from one program to another (including the finder). Plus the "show desktop" is ALWAYS gold.

But I really need a new mouse to heighten the user experience.

[QuiteSure]

I use expose daily, but I use the "new" cmd-tab application switcher constantly

[Powerbook G5]

It's great but I can never find the perfect key combination to make it feel natural to me. It's one of those things that makes me wish I could afford a nice BT multi-button mouse. I tried screen corners but find myself accidentally activating Exposé when I didn't mean to. It's still cool and useful, though, I just wish you could program custom key combos instead of being stuck with what Apple provides.

[punter]

Originally posted by Powerbook G5
I just wish you could program custom key combos instead of being stuck with what Apple provides.

Yeah! i'd like fn + shift or fn + ctrl or something like that.

[jigglyjon]

I use it everyday. it is one of those things that i didnt know was included in panther. I mean i didnt know about it and now that its here, I CANT LIVE WITHOUT IT...i use my XP machine and just cant do it. :) with my 12'' iBook its perfect. I think apple should market it more.

[SilentPanda]

I know it's not "full expose" by any means but in Windows if you hold down the "Windows key" and press "D" it shows the desktop. Some people know it does, some don't... granted it's not as cool but... pressing it again reverses the effect... still not as slick as Panther but you get what you pay for.

[KLFloyd]

When Steve first demoed it I thought it was just a cute gimmick. But I must say I've found myself using exposé just about every day once I got it customized.

I've got a 5 button mouse from Microsoft and I have my two side buttons set to activate exposé. I didn't like the F-Keys as I already had them assigned and the hot corners are really a pain so this worked out perfectly for me.

[coumerelli]

Originally posted by Powerbook G5
It's great but I can never find the perfect key combination to make it feel natural to me. It's one of those things that makes me wish I could afford a nice BT multi-button mouse. I tried screen corners but find myself accidentally activating Exposé when I didn't mean to. It's still cool and useful, though, I just wish you could program custom key combos instead of being stuck with what Apple provides.

I'm not telling you that you should do this, ;) but I use the two bottom corners for expose (all windows and desktop) as these corners are not used for other things. The top corners are "used" for the apple menu and fast user switching (if not another menu item). And if you bump it, just bump it again while you're there to undo it.

After a couple weeks, I've only bumped it a few times, and these corners seem about as natural as can be (especialy as compared to having to use fn F* on the powerbook).

Hope you find what works for ya.


And yes, I voted essential! It's worth the upgrade alone.

[QuiteSure]

Originally posted by punter
Yeah! i'd like fn + shift or fn + ctrl or something like that.

You can! Go to the expose preference pane, click and hold on the appropriate popup menu and press the desired modifier key, and then you can adjust the settings to your wishes.

[Powerbook G5]

But you cannot find the modifier combo you want. All CMD combos are combined with Fx keys and such. I wouldn't mind just using Cmd+Tab for "all window" mode, maybe Option+Tab for "app windows" and then fn for desktop. I think that'd be a sweet setup, but you can't do that.

[supercres]

Originally posted by crenz
There should be an option to show minimized and hidden windows as well. That would make it so much more useful more me...

Hear, hear. And it's even more fanstic when it's at one's fingertips -- I have a Micro$oft 5-button mouse, and i just assign the right pinky button to F11. (Thumb button is double-click-- also fantastic.)

It's gold, Jerry. Pure gold.

[Chealion]

Using the new better looking (and not ripped off of some 3rd party) command-tab and Expose together is absolutely awesome. I use them in tandem constantly. I don't even have to look at the keyboard to press F9 anymore. I really should have changed the key, but I couldn't figure out what to change it to.

[wdlove]

I'm not using Mac OS X yet. It does sound like a feature that I would enjoy using. It should really be niffty on a Cinema Display.

[dazuma]

I played briefly with Exposé, and I like it, but my mode of working is already centered around virtual desktops and the more intimate organizational control that they offer. (Not to mention that I've also spent too much time in Linux.) So for now I'm sticking to Codetek's excellent product.

[Winston Smith]

Its a superb feature simple as that.

Worth the cost of Panther just for the productivity saving.

[TomSmithMacEd]

Yeah, right now I'm at school on a XP machine. I always try to hit my f1 f2 f3 ( I switched the settings. I like them f1 f2 f3 much easier) to use expose. Then I relize I'm on a monopoly machine. Where we are forced to use IE, Office, Media Player.

[TomSmithMacEd]

Then I relized I didn't finish my comment. HA! I was just rambling in my head my disgust with microsoft and my love of Expose. Expose is worth the 129 dollar upgrade alone!

[york2600]

I set my expose to the two top corners of the screen. Right now I'm in a Mac lab at school (550mhz G4s at Humboldt State in CA) and I find myself moving the mouse up to the corner all the time. I just hope they get Panther in this lab soon. I miss Expose. It's a real time saver.

[Rower_CPU]

Originally posted by Fahd
Yup, gotta have its like using ALT + TAB on a PC! :D

You do know that Apple has had command + tab for cycling through open apps for a while, right?

Anyway, I'm still getting used to Exposé, but it's getting to be more natural.

[stcanard]

Originally posted by SilentPanda
I know it's not "full expose" by any means but in Windows if you hold down the "Windows key" and press "D" it shows the desktop. Some people know it does, some don't... granted it's not as cool but... pressing it again reverses the effect... still not as slick as Panther but you get what you pay for.

Actually I find that feature in Windows useless. If I do that to find something on the desktop to open (which is why I want to see the desktop 99% of the time) it then proceeds to forget what items were previously minimized and which ones were visible.

Then I have to go through the icons on the taskbar resetting the windows to their previous state.

I rarely have less than a dozen windows open, so that becomes a major task.

[Stella]

Yes, but previously it sucked - just iterated through open windows on your Dock bar.

Panther uses SwitchX method (or the Windows implementation if you like this description better).

The Panther method of apple + tab makes it far easier to see what applications you are switching between because it displays the icons in the middle of the screen (unnecessarily large icons, I might add).


However, I prefer SwitchX over the Panthers implementation. More options and easier to use.


Originally posted by Rower_CPU
You do know that Apple has had command + tab for cycling through open apps for a while, right?

Anyway, I'm still getting used to Exposé, but it's getting to be more natural.

[Rower_CPU]

Originally posted by Stella
Yes, but previously it sucked - just iterated through open windows on your Dock bar.

Panther uses SwitchX method (or the Windows implementation if you like this description better).

The Panther method of apple + tab makes it far easier to see what applications you are switching between because it displays the icons in the middle of the screen (unnecessarily large icons, I might add).


However, I prefer SwitchX over the Panthers implementation. More options and easier to use.

Granted, but it was there before and it still has nothing to do with Exposé. ;)

[alset]

I couldn't live with out it. It has become the most important feature in OS X for me. Apple has absolutely outdone themselves. Now we just need to be able close windows while they are minimized.

Anyone with a multi-button mouse who hasn't mapped Expose to the extra buttons should give it a shot. Just as I couldn't do without Expose after getting hooked, I now would hate going back to the keyboard.

Dan

[Powerbook G5]

On OS 9 you could Cmd+Tab between apps, too, so it is definitely not a new addition, just the addition of the actual graphical list of what you are tabbing between (which I used LiteSwitch for, anyway, so I always had this feature before Panther). As far as Windows goes, you can add an icon to the taskbar quicklaunch area so you can easily "hide to desktop" and "maximize in place" all of your running apps at one click on the button. It's pretty handle in my opinion, but oddly, some Windows machines have it by default and some don't, which means you have to find it somewhere within Windows and enable it then.

[airmac]

Originally posted by QuiteSure
I use expose daily, but I use the "new" cmd-tab application switcher constantly

It isn't new. This feature is also in Jaguar.

[Powerbook G5]

The feature has been there since the first time I used Mac OS in system 8.6...

[PretendPCuser]

New feature for LongBorn...

They call it...<drumroll>
That-window-shrinker-downer-thingee!*
Increase Your Productivity!
Prompt Your Mac Using Buddies to Say,
"Oh yeah, Exposé. Neat. We've had that for three years now."

*only runs on systems with P5 4.6Ghz or higher with 2Gb of RAM

Just having a little fun. Relax. Go have a weekend.

Mike
;)

[Doctor Q]

Has anyone besides me thought about the algorithm used to move and scale N windows, each at a given position with a given size, on an X by Y screen, until they don't overlap, while trying to minimize the amount of movement and scaling? Exposé does it well. I think it would make a good programming class assignment to look for and implement such an algorithm.

[sworthy]

I'm still getting used to it, helps sometimes though and sure is neat.

I find myself playing around with it more often then actually using it, especially when just surfing.

[stcanard]

The usefulness definitely depends on your usage pattern.

I find it indispensible and use it constantly, but when I'm on a computer I multitask heavily, and doing development means I generally have a lot of windows open that I switch between frequently, so I find it inconvenient to minimize them.

Previously I had to go through great effort to try and tile and size my windows so the title bars (or at least a corner) were always visible. Now I can arrange things by task which I find much more intuitive.

My dad, on the other hand, never has more than one or two windows open and unhidden and would probably almost never use the feature.

[rueyeet]

Oh, yes! I regularly Expose, myself. :p

Okay, bad attempt at humor.

I've installed a version of Panther on the old clamshell iBook I was using for Linux, to avoid any of the x.0 version bugaboos on my primary system. It doesn't support Quartz, so Expose is unusably slow.

I'm not sure if I'd use it as much anyway. Coming from Windows, I got used to not running so many apps at once as to invite crashes,* and not having more windows open than the Taskbar could usably display, so I don't use that many apps/windows at once anyway. Wouldn't do to let the Mac spoil me so badly that using Windows at work becomes that much more of a chore.... :)

*Win 2KPro, though, is every bit as stable as OS X. Have to give credit where it's due.

[mrsebastian]

it's pretty darn cool. i have m$ bluetooth mouse and am able to use the extra "navigation" buttons for expose. i keep forgeting to use it though, as i have windowshade installed and tend to use that instead.

[mainstreetmark]

Originally posted by Doctor Q
Has anyone besides me thought about the algorithm used to move and scale N windows, each at a given position with a given size, on an X by Y screen, until they don't overlap, while trying to minimize the amount of movement and scaling? Exposé does it well. I think it would make a good programming class assignment to look for and implement such an algorithm.

Yes, I have! It always seems to be a balance between not moving a window all the way across the screen and providing maximum size!

Two of my recent feedbacks to Apple:
1. Provide an option to make the background windows slightly darker than the active application window. I get lost in my various code windows in different apps all the time.
2. Provide a way to scale the entire screen, providing more desktop space and smaller windows. My 17" screen presents everything so large.

[Powerbook G5]

Windows 2k really is a pretty decent version. Our school upgraded from 2k Pro last year to XP Pro this year and now everything is so unstable and slow. It doesn't help that the computers are Dell PIIIs with only 256 megs RAM, either.

[encro]

The hardest thing is getting used of actually using it since it breaks from the standard way of doing things ;)

Thanks for mentioning about assigning exposé to the bottom corners. With a quick flick of the wrist you can throw windows around in a rather fast manner. Up until this point I had been using the default keys.

[baby duck monge]

definitely use expose. most often the "reveal desktop" command. would use it a lot more if i could, as many people are saying, customize the keys more. i want to be able to find a comfortable left-handed combo that doesn't really involve reaching across the keyboard so it is still easy to use the trackpad at the same time. oh well...

[AmigoMac]

Now I have a window for every topic in safari, news, work, fun, corner and boom, I get what i want (IGWIW) :) ... Nice toy-tool, I guess everyone got a time in front of the mac just to play with it... It's nice how my PC'ers friends take a look, they just admire it and ask again when the prices will be down, until now, just got 1 switcher...Have a nice weekend guys, I'll expose me to a pub ;) ,

[Bunzi2k4]

i use expose' all the time

[aethier]

I love it, and have trouble going to use other peoples computer's that does not have, it tend to still try to draag my mouse to the hot corners, hoping that i will be there, but NOOO... anyways i love i love it is great.


aethier

[Phil Of Mac]

I personally use the Dock to switch apps, and I rarely have an app that totally clutters the screen by itself, so I sadly haven't found a use for Exposé other than impressing women. And it doesn't impress women very effectively either.

[Drifter]

Abso-****ing essential. When I use my friend's PeeCee, I hit it F9 instinctively and I get a random menu. It is more than second nature, like playing SSB or some game like that.
To give you a picture of what my life is like:
Finder (No ****)
iTunes
Safari
Acquisition
Sherlock
Photoshop
iChat
Mail
DragThing
Pixadéx
Soundtrack
iPulse

Count that. 12 applications. F has a new meaning other than **** for me.
And you have to drool every time you see the windows shrink and go off the screen on a 23''. It's beautiful.
The best Panther improvement.

And most of that stuff takes up a whole screen. Soundtrack, Safari, and Photoshop CS to be specific. Never thought of using it on women :p j/k
I use ?+tab alot too. It's a really nice improvement too, like the Finder sidebar.

[wrldwzrd89]

Exposé is definitely a nice feature; I don't use it all that often since I tend to not multitask enough for it to truly be useful. I do think I will make heavy use of the show desktop command for those times that I download files to there.

[scem0]

I havent had the chance to use it, but it looks really awesome.

still on a PC.

scem0:( :o

[Drifter]

Infidel!!!!!!!
If I was Saddam, I'd put you in a wood chipper, along with your family. :)
j/k

[Doctor Q]

I have to defend scem0 on this one. Macintoshishness is in your heart, not your hardware. And you can quote me on that.

[Drifter]

Macintoshishness is in your heart, not your hardware.

I just did.

[~Shard~]

I don't use Expose because I don't have Panther - in fact, I don't have a Mac! ;) But that will all change in a few weeks, when my new 1.25 GHz G4 iMac will arrive! I've been following Macs for the past 6-7 months now and can't wait to finally get mine! Then, oh yes, I'll be using Expose - A LOT! :)

[punter]

Another good use is when I have a few windows in progress, like a download, webpages loading, itunes encoding, etc etc.
I want to attend to whatever app finishes first, so I just press once to activate exposé and then sit back and watch all my windows live! weeee

ps if you don't konw already, type expos then OPTION e then e to get the é. There are heaps of cool letters to be found with option pressing ÷?¿?˜??ç etc

[Powerbook G5]

It's a lot easier than using the character map on Windows. That reminds me, though...is Key Caps gone from Panther? I can't seem to find it anywhere since installing it.

[Doctor Q]

Originally posted by Powerbook G5
That reminds me, though...is Key Caps gone from Panther? I can't seem to find it anywhere since installing it. It is off by default and very cleverly hidden. Finding a leprechaun would be easier.

Here's where it went. Open System Preferences and pick the International preference pane. Pick the tab named Input Menu. In the On column, check the row for Keyboard Viewer. At the bottom, check Show input menu in menu bar.

Then, when you want the equivalent of the old Key Caps, choose Show Keyboard Viewer from the "input" menu (usually a flag symbol in the U.S.) on the right side of the menu bar.

I think it is off by default because Apple now favors the Character Palette, which works the same way.

I'm sure you would have eventually found all this out by experimenting on your own, right after you found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

[Powerbook G5]

I found that but it isn't the same as Key Caps since you can't actually input text and browse your fonts/characters like you could. It just seems like a stripped down version of Key Caps, really. Thanks anyway, though.

[Drifter]

We were talkn bout Exposé, but I'll chip in.

One other thing I like about macs is that option and anything to put up an odd symbol.
Option+3=£ The pound
Option+Y= ¥ Yen

Then you can do option+shift+character
Option+shift+8= ° degree symbol

On Windows, you have to hit alt+number pad. All those number combinations. How efficient. ;)

That makes writing for German that much easier. My name in German is Konrad. :D

[deejemon]

I don't use window minimisation so much (F9 and F10), but I find F11 (reveal desktop) essential since:

a) the Finder windows take up so much room now
b) I've only been provided with a 15" 1024x768 display
c) I move files around a lot

[deejemon]

What I find interesting about Expose is that it exposes (so to speak) some software writing practices.

I'm thinking mostly of Mozilla Firebird and Mozilla SeaMonkey (the traditional combo suite), where they utilise a hidden off-screen window, creatively called "hidden", that gets around the fact that Windows and Linux generally assume that applications quit when the last window closes.

Not actually Expose-related, but one of my favorite new features in regards to application-window management is that when you Apple-Tab to switch apps, you can not only choose the destination app with your mouse, you can press Q while you're still holding down the Apple key to quit the selected application without actually switching to it and without leaving the switcher display.

[Awimoway]

I'm a switcher of a little over a year now, and one thing I've never really gotten used to is the Mac philosophy of having open many windows on your desktop, available as you need them. The prevailing opinion seems to be that creative minds don't fuss over where they put things, they just need them all out and available.

Well, not if you're a neat freak like me. The neatest trick I've learned is to code Command + W to one of my many mouse buttons. That keeps my desktop very clean (it also makes tabbed web browsing even better--no more careful maneuvering to that little X on the tab). As a result, clicking on the dock is my main means of switching among apps and windows. When I need to compare or transfer info between more than one app, though, Exposé comes in handy.

[asgardn1]

I love Expose and Panther so much that I'm really pissed Panther won't run on my Wallstreet and I might sell that so I can get a new Powerbook and take advantage of all the toys in Panther. If it weren't for Panther I'd rebuild that macine if I needed to.

[Gymnut]

Only when I have more than 3 windows open at one time. No sense using if it's not needed.

[~Shard~]

I'm constantly mutlitasking, so Expose is a God-send - I use it all the time, and can't imagine having to go without it! So simple, yet so powerful - I'm sure it's a feature that good old MS will copy for Longhorn - but of course, Apple being copied is notrhing new. ;)

[gmanrique]

This is one of those features that mae you think, "How could I live without it before"