Best method of switching between apps?

[benwiggy]

I'm wondering if the way I've been using OS X for over 11 years may not be optimal, and I'm considering trying out some new, better methods to do things, if there are any. (Crazy talk, I know...!)

I frequently have more than 26 apps open most of the time, and "Command Tabbing" to get the one I want can therefore take 13 key presses. There's the Dock, of course, though I have that on the far right-hand end of my 2nd monitor, which can be many mouse miles away.

I suppose I should get in the habit of using Mission Control, which seems like the obvious candidate, though it can take me an age to find the thing I'm looking for, even with app windows grouped together, which I find more useful than millions of random windows everywhere. (Controversial opinion No. 2!)

But I haven't quite got into the habit, so before I do, Are there any other good ways?

 

[MacDawg]

How about Alfred?

option+space - type first few letters of app and enter

 

[benwiggy]

How about Alfred?
option+space - type first few letters of app and enter

So, essentially the same as Spotlight? Or indeed LaunchPad. A third-party app seems a little excessive.
Spotlight won't "find" Finder, however.

 

[Zerozal]

How about just clicking on the icon in the dock? That would seem to be the quickest and easiest way.

 

[benwiggy]

How about just clicking on the icon in the dock? That would seem to be the quickest and easiest way.

As I said, my Dock is on the right hand side of a dual monitor setup, so it's a long way away sometimes.

And why don't I have the Dock at the bottom? Because I do work where I need to look at double page spreads, so the bigger they can be, the better.

Unless anyone's got anything radical, I think I'm just going to have to get in the habit of using Mission Control. It's not bad, but it does require a bit of glancing around to find the app.

 

[throAU]

3 finger swipe left/right between full screen
4 finger swipe up

If it is just switching windows within a single app (which on OS X, drives me insane that cmd+tab doesn't let me tab between windows within an app), 4 finger swipe down.

 

[benwiggy]

Thanks. I don't use Full Screen much, though that may change when 10.9 comes out. I currently use 3 finger drag for selecting. Is that still possible when Full Screen switching is assigned 3 fingers?

4-fingers up is Mission Control, of course. I either use that or an F key to launch it.

You can always switch between windows of the same app with <command> `
(between Z and shift on my keyboard, but it may be below Esc on others.)

EDIT: Ooh, someone's just told me that with <command><tab>, if you hold down the command key, you can select the relevant app with the pointer. Not great for me as a lefty, but I'll put it out there.

 

[throAU]

Yeah you can tweak the full screen flick left right gesture.... to either 3 fingers or 4....

I use it heaps as most of the time i'm using my MBP on battery without an external monitor i am running things full screen. Not so much when at a desk with a secondary display as pre mavericks full screen was pretty useless for that.

Getting used to it in mavericks now though, you get two totaly independent desktops that can each run full screen or not. Its neat.

Thanks for the tip on command ` ... never knew that one