Clicking twice to gain focus

[gowanis]

One of the annoyances in the Mac OS (compared to Windows) is how you must click twice when switching to another application. For example, I must click on Safari, and then click again to click a hyperlink. In Windows I was able to do it all in one click (transition to new application and click on link). Is this something I can adjust in settings, or is it just inherent in the OS ?

[simsaladimbamba]

Where or how do you click on Safari?
And how can one transition AND click on a link in Windows with one link? I never came upon such behaviour?

[gowanis]

If you hover over a window in Windows OS focus shifts to that window (without clicking), so my first click on the link executes that link. In Safari, my first click brings focus to the Safari application, and then I have to click the hyperlink again to go to the web page.

[simsaladimbamba]

Originally Posted by gowanis

If you hover over a window in Windows OS focus shifts to that window (without clicking), so my first click on the link executes that link. In Safari, my first click brings focus to the Safari application, and then I have to click the hyperlink again to go to the web page.

Ah, I understand. As Mac OS X has a Menu Bar on top and not in every window like Windows does, such behaviour, called "follow-focus" (not to be confused with something like this though), would be confusing.
However, someone wrote a software a while back to have a similar behaviour in Mac OS X, as far as I remember, I have used it for a day or two some years ago (does not seem to have been updated for Mac OS X 10.7 Lion or OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion) and it was annoying, but then again, I never used "follow-focus" in Windows 5.0 or Windows 5.1 (if it was even in it back then).
Anyway, here is the application: http://www.atomicbird.com/mondomouse

[gowanis]

Thanks, its not a major problem for me, was just curious if it was something that could be adjusted in the OS settings. There are a few things that still bug me in the Mac OS, but overall I don't miss Windows at all.

[simsaladimbamba]

Originally Posted by gowanis

Thanks, its not a major problem for me, was just curious if it was something that could be adjusted in the OS settings. There are a few things that still bug me in the Mac OS, but overall I don't miss Windows at all.

You could use CMD+TAB to switch between applications, or Exposé (which would introduce another set of clicks though).

Anyway, if you haven't looked at this yet, maybe it can help eliminating some bugs:

To learn more about Mac OS X: Helpful Information for Any Mac User by GGJstudios