Any way to make a window full-screen?

The lower-right corner of most windows has a little texture on it, grab that and drag...

the only way that I know of is to drag it to full screen if you want the extra white area, otherwise press the green button on top of the window, and it will enlarge it to as much space as you need to see all of the window.

There are some apps that have a full screen mode, but those are application specific. Safari can with the Saft add-on for example.

Most people find this irritating when they switch, but you soon realise that the Windows way is stupid, and OS X is giving you beautiful screen real estate...

Yeah, Mac OS is smart enough to only maximise to take enough room to remove the scroll bars.

If you're of the easily-distracted persuasion, simply choose "hide others" (option-command-H) from the application menu.

Also consider consulting a therapist for treatment of attention-deficit disorder.

Try this http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/21275

works a treat so you can go full screen with a hotkey, but only with cocoa apps

wow

Wow, a couple of the replies in this thread are really obnoxious... the attention-deficit disorder comment... the "windows way is stupid" comment ... the person asked a simple, positive question. Some folks don't know how to be humorous without shifting into "wow, aren't I sharp and opinionated!" mode.

A couple of the replies are useful, but it's a shame that we have to download odd add-ons just for the basic goal of "maximize." let's admit it -- OS X is excellent but there are always things that need to be fixed. The green button at upper left does not always do a full maximize, but in many apps just that button seems to make a window only "pretty big." in Firefox it seems to make a window go full-size.

You resurrected an old thread, where as a forum search would have provided you with the following answer - http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/internet_utilities/safaristretch.html

estephan500 said:

A couple of the replies are useful, but it's a shame that we have to download odd add-ons just for the basic goal of "maximize." let's admit it -- OS X is excellent but there are always things that need to be fixed.

Click to expand...

This itself could be construed as an "obnoxious reply." I don't think OS X's maximize behavior needs fixing at all, so we can agree to disagree.

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/30591

RightZoom, maximizes any window, just add the app to your login items.

MikeyTree said:

It's very strange to see my own thread from two and a half years ago be resurrected.

I've actually grown to like the Mac's way of non-maximizing every window.

Click to expand...

I'd suggest the "right" reply might have been:

I hear you, I wish I could get some apps to easily go full screen, without having to position the window top left and then dragging out the one handle in the bottom right. And I've always used Macs, but that full-screen button is one of the few things PC's have that I wish Macs had. But you may find yourself getting used to the Macintosh way.

In most apps the red button will enlarge the window to the maximum needed (eg the default width of a web page) but there are apps (like SketchUp, which is why I got here) that offer up a tiny window and only stretch (with the green button) if there is something larger to stretch for.

That said, there are a few utilities that may help; here is the best I've found:
RightZoom allow me to make windows fullscreen,with the click of the green button, or an option click, or using a key combo, in any or (most) all apps; I get to choose. good with OS X versions 10.4-10.6
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/30591

estephan500 said:

a couple of the replies in this thread are really obnoxious.

Click to expand...

I agree.

miles01110 said:

I don't think OS X's maximize behavior needs fixing at all,

Click to expand...

I agree.

MikeyTree said:

I've actually grown to like the Mac's way of non-maximizing every window.

Click to expand...

Figures. I get annoyed with Windows for taking up my whole screen!

Me too...?

We are just talking options here:

Windows doesn't have to take up the whole screen; it is just an option.

And with the RightZoom app, the Mac can as easily fill the screen when wanted.

Now if you could just resize the Mac screen with something other than the bottom right corner...

There's probably an app for that too;-).

Cinch is nice and simple. Drag the window up to the top and it will "maximize". Does split-screen when you drag to left or right sides. There is another one there that uses keyboard shortcuts, but offers more functionality.
http://www.irradiatedsoftware.com

On the other hand, with the advent of Spaces, the option to have one space for an app maximised to full screen is quite appealing to me.

Hey, that Cinch app is a great tip. thanks very much. I just paid the $7, fastest decision to pay for shareware I've ever done.

If they would make it so that the "dividing line" between the right and left panes could be shifted right or left according to my preference, that would be handy. I'd put mail on the smaller left side and web browser on the right.

but you are right, I should practice with Spaces more.

Any way to make a window full-screen?

MacBook user here. So that of course says there's very limited screen real estate. I like full windows to look at. So I do this (it's based on keeping all the apps you like to use open):

1) Use the window's lower right-corner thing to pull open any window where it makes sense to use the full screen (some automatically avoid the Dock, others do not; you have to watch and do the right thing...)

2) use command-tab then to switch around among all your open apps (and thus open fullsize windows)

Be aware that some apps have smaller windows which look silly when pulled open to fullscreen. Others have app windows which don't even pull open so you can't do it on everything, but it works just fine most of the time.

Also another fun thing: if you have all windows open to fullscreen to begin with then simply switch from one app to another by clicking on the Dock app icon you want to switch to, if you hold down OPTION-COMMAND at the same time as you click the app you want to switch to it comes up with all other windows hidden (the same has bringing up the app then doing control-command-h "hide others")

Any way to make a window full-screen?

.... and I should also have added that if you do the "keep apps open" to maximum size thing and don't quit them that you can use the F3 key (at least that key on the MacBook) to choose any open app. And since the window is already "open" fullsize in background memory, what you choose opens and takes up the wholescreen. Simple and built in...

I'm annoyed too with this

Estefan and the other few people are dead-on about this simple feature that Macs don't have. It just boggles my mind that there isn't a button you can click to make the window go full screen. It would be especially helpful for laptop users. And it would be especially helpful for people who are doing work on their computers, i.e, spreadsheets, writing, and slideshows.

Also, have any of you ever moved around files and pictures on a PC? It's the easiest, straightforward thing ever invented. Nothing like i-Photo gets in the way.

I've had my Macbook Pro about 4 months now. It's beautiful and I love not being spammed and viruses. But geez, some things are puzzling, as these two issues I just mentioned.

laterz

What's the problem with moving files and photos? Although you might want to start a new thread for those questions.

airplanetaxi said:

Estefan and the other few people are dead-on about this simple feature that Macs don't have. It just boggles my mind that there isn't a button you can click to make the window go full screen. It would be especially helpful for laptop users. And it would be especially helpful for people who are doing work on their computers, i.e, spreadsheets, writing, and slideshows.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure which software you use for your spreadsheets, writing and slideshows, but the two of which I use (OpenOffice and iWork) both have full screen views.

There are now a number of good window management solutions (workspace managers) on the market. Here's an incomplete list:

Cinch ($7) is like Aero Snap for Mac.
http://www.irradiatedsoftware.com/cinch/

SizeUp ($13) allows you to easily position window using keyboard shortcuts.
http://www.irradiatedsoftware.com/sizeup/

Breeze ($8) allows you to save window states and restore them like a template to another window.
http://autumnapps.com/breeze/

Divvy ($14) shows a grid on the screen where you can select boxes to indicate how you want the window to fill your screen.
http://mizage.com/divvy/