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Exposé for Windows
- Thread starter Jason_Bryan
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"start-button+ D" (hide all apps) and "alt+tab"(scroll through apps, with gui representations of the apps) are available in windows and have been for some time.
the only mac equiv i can think of (before expose`, is a menu option- "hide all others/hide this window"
the only mac equiv i can think of (before expose`, is a menu option- "hide all others/hide this window"
apple tab switching has worked since atleast jaguar ... there was just not litle window that showed up it just hilighted the icon in the dock and that was fine for me, kind of easier to use imo. Also if you click on the finder you can click option+apple+ h to hide all the aps except finder ...
Apple+Tab has been available for quite some time, we just haven't had so much graphical slickness until now.
Windows had some of those features for a long time, so who's copying who. But i think we already had that debate in another thread.
If you want to get into an argument copying...MS copied the mouse from the Macintosh, the GUI, the concept of using drivers to manipulate input devices, the concept of files, folders, and windows, the concept of multimedia, the concept of a clipboard for editing, the concept of the trash can when you delete items...
As a switcher and not having Panther, I still struggle with the "messy desktop" of OSX.
I reckon Windows Taskbar is very good and makes knowing what's open and finding it quite easy - definitely easier than OSX's dock.
Along with the Quick Launch bar where you can stick your fave apps, I think it's better than OSX (before Panther).
Also, everyone I ever see runs their applications in Windows full screen. This reduces clutter and in affect is like the Tabs in Safari that everyone loves so much - i.e.your app fills the screen and you have "tabs" for each of them in the taskbar.
I really really like OSX - navigating open apps and file management are the only two things that let it down - but as I've been told, both these are greatly improved in Panther. And I'm saving for it!
I personally hate the full screen habits of Windows. Whenever I fix my family's computers, I always have to minimize those things down and it annoys me that apps like Photoshop and Office literally steal the entire screen from you when you are working in them behind a pointless gray background. As far as the messy desktop, Exposé definitely helps, and so does Option clicking to hide windows, and also, this may be a big help to some as it was to me when I switched, but check out Lite Switch X, it allows you to set application behavior such as single application mode, which automatically hides all but the active program you are using so that you have a cleaner workspace until you get used to working with multiple apps at once. I at first hated having so many applications visible on the desktop, but between the wealth of multitasking tools available and the wide screen of my PowerBook, it's so awesome having Word, iChat, iTunes, etc, all open at once and being able to work with and interact with each one at any given time.
Do you have 17inch? I haven't got the hang of multiple apps visible yet (on my 15in).
Before I discovered Konfabulator, at work I had my VPC session on my second screen which was way cool. But now I have all widgets on it.
I don't often interact between two programs so often get annoyed at the mess behind the app I'm in. Therefore I "Hide Others"
On the other hand, it is good though then coz on a single screen, I can see some of my important widgets when i "Hide Others".
I'll check out Lite Switch X - it might help.
thanks
Windows has much better networking support for file sharing still... but I hope Apple will fix this eventually.
And for the people complaining about copying... GUIs were copied from Xerox, MS and Apple have both copied from each other, perhaps MS more in the past...
I have a 15", but it's just a matter of getting used to making the most out of your screen space. I generally keep my Word document in the center when I am working on a paper, keep my iChat list to the upper right corner, an IM box or two on the left sides so I can see the convo, my iTunes remote on the bottom left corner, my office floating toolbar to the right, etc. I can't imagine what people with those 23" displays do, those things are insanely huge. Seeing a standard dock with just a dozen icons on those screens makes everything look so spread out.
A general reply to the Exposé vs Windows Explorer discussion....
For me, the dock combines the Quick Launch area and Taskbar into one object. This is streamlined, at the expense of listing individual windows. You can get to individual windows within an app by right/control-clicking on the dock icon, as well as many other options.
Option-clicking on an app in the dock will bring that app to the front and hide all others. This works for the Finder, too.
All of the above functionality has been in X as long as I can remember.
IMO, the strength of Exposé is in the ability to show actual window contents, rather than just window titles, which can often be identical. Windows' Taskbar can't show what's on a page, or tell you that image file 'img2003.jpg' is the file you want and not 'img2004.jpg'. Exposé also makes switching between discrete windows within applications easier for me than the Taskbar. So, if you never have more than one app open and/or window open within an app, yes, Windows doesn't need Exposé.
For me, the dock combines the Quick Launch area and Taskbar into one object. This is streamlined, at the expense of listing individual windows. You can get to individual windows within an app by right/control-clicking on the dock icon, as well as many other options.
Option-clicking on an app in the dock will bring that app to the front and hide all others. This works for the Finder, too.
All of the above functionality has been in X as long as I can remember.
IMO, the strength of Exposé is in the ability to show actual window contents, rather than just window titles, which can often be identical. Windows' Taskbar can't show what's on a page, or tell you that image file 'img2003.jpg' is the file you want and not 'img2004.jpg'. Exposé also makes switching between discrete windows within applications easier for me than the Taskbar. So, if you never have more than one app open and/or window open within an app, yes, Windows doesn't need Exposé.
Yeah, it is how you use your screen space. Like for example on my dad's 12 inch iBook, he always has the dock on hiding, because it gets in the way of most applications. On his 17 inch iMac however he keeps the dock on, since it doesn't cover up his programs.
I use Minimize in Place and Reveal Desktop apps in Jaguar which are as close as you're gonna get to Expose. Minimize in Place seems to have vanished from unsanity. They now sell Windowshade X for $10 plus various other haxies. http://www.unsanity.com/products.php
The only thing that caught my attention was the Santa Girl!
As for the member that bought the app: Im sorry to hear that it simply doesnt work at all. I seriously hope that you can get a refund!
As for the member that bought the app: Im sorry to hear that it simply doesnt work at all. I seriously hope that you can get a refund!
my .02
We all sit in here and talk about who copied who. But if you didnt work for apple or ms back then, you dont really know the truth.
We all sit in here and talk about who copied who. But if you didnt work for apple or ms back then, you dont really know the truth.
This has been gone over so many times I'm sick of hearing the mis-information.
start-button+D does not come anything close to expose because it does not remember which apps were not minimized after you open something from the desktop. That is the whole point of expose. It remembers everything about your window placement
Without that feature "show desktop" is useless to expose's core audience, those of us who have a workflow that requires large numbers of open windows.
Do a search and you can find long threads discussing this exact issue.
I think that its great that an exact copy has been made, as a Mac user i feel quite flattered, even though i had absolutely nothing to do with the idea!
Also, Exposé has the cunning ability to update every window in real time, great if you want to watch a video while downloading while watching the Macrumors live feed from a MacExpo!
Exposé is a feature that i just use all of the time. I sometimes find myself reverting back to the old windows way of doing things and then i remember that all i have to do is press a button; i rarely use minimize at all.
Also, Exposé has the cunning ability to update every window in real time, great if you want to watch a video while downloading while watching the Macrumors live feed from a MacExpo!
Exposé is a feature that i just use all of the time. I sometimes find myself reverting back to the old windows way of doing things and then i remember that all i have to do is press a button; i rarely use minimize at all.
Fav. switching apps...
I don't like hackies, they f up system performance in my opinion. I have Panther and use Lite Switch X because I find apple's comand + Tab doesn't have as many features.
Finally, if you like the start menu of windows for having favorite programs etc. check out Classic Menu; it is an overlay on the apple menu on the left-hand side of the screen and its good for accessing shortcuts etc. and the apple menu is still accessable with a key + click combo (and it's not a hack).
P.S. For switching, I also enjoy ASM - it puts the OS 9 type app switcher on the right hand side. it's nice when you don't feel like using the keyboard and you want to see a quick list of what's running etc.
I don't like hackies, they f up system performance in my opinion. I have Panther and use Lite Switch X because I find apple's comand + Tab doesn't have as many features.
Finally, if you like the start menu of windows for having favorite programs etc. check out Classic Menu; it is an overlay on the apple menu on the left-hand side of the screen and its good for accessing shortcuts etc. and the apple menu is still accessable with a key + click combo (and it's not a hack).
P.S. For switching, I also enjoy ASM - it puts the OS 9 type app switcher on the right hand side. it's nice when you don't feel like using the keyboard and you want to see a quick list of what's running etc.
When I first switched, I got Action Utilities GoMac!, which literally recreates the Windows Start menu/task bar, but it's an OS 8/9 program. I used it for a long time as it put the start menu with the program menu, taskbar, quick launch menu, etc on my Mac along with including Lite Switch built in for command tabbing and single application mode. It really made the switch nice and easy for me. I know, it butchers the whole feel of using a Mac, but it did help with the transition until I began seeing the benefits of how the Mac OS is set up for efficiency and multi tasking.
Yeah, I think it's lame and annoying, too, but I find myself doing it (begrudingly) when I occasionally use XP (shudder) on my wife's notebook PC. On my 1024x768 iBook I normally avoid using any application (minus video players) in full screen.
... and/or "desktop manager" apps like CodeTek Virtual Desktop, Desktop Manager, and Workspaces. And Exposé has made using virtual desktops even nicer, especially on my small iBook display. In general, virtual desktops provide window layout organization (which I like) and Exposé helps manage window clutter (which I try to minimize).
Switching between virtual desktops with "spatial context" preserved is something I've never efficiently mastered while using a single window-cluttered desktop. I think it's because virtual desktops have successfully imprinted me with the illusion of using a larger desktop that resists being shattered -- I've tried, 'til it became too frustrating.
Virtual desktops can make it easier to run full screen apps, but I hardly do that because there's always something else I want visible at the same time.