Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

APlotdevice

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Sep 3, 2011
3,145
3,861
While I'm glad that we finally have the ability to run multiple full screen applications next to each other, I must admit the way it's currently implemented leaves some things to be desired IMO...
  • While joining apps is easy enough, splitting them up again is awkward. You have to either close or window one of them, the latter option throwing you back to the desktop each time.
  • There is no apparent way to have it open new windows side-by-side automatically, such as in Safari.
  • First Party apps are all over the place
    • iTunes takes up the larger portion my 11" Air's screen, refusing to minimize any further.
    • iBooks can only be placed in split view after you've opened a book. Also it maintains ridiculously wide text margins even when squashed down.
    • Notes and Mail have a similar issue where their middle column remains visible even when squashed down, wasting precious space.
    • Safari doesn't adjust font size to coup with shrinking window.
    • Messages at least is thankfully fine tuned for split view.
These are my thoughts on it anyway.
 
Split screen is okay, but even EC's new window management won't pull me away from Moom! Things should be tweaked over time. I think it's a simple enough and straightforward implementation.

  • I agree that splitting windows is awkward. I'd like a way to move them to separate full screen spaces or to minimize them both. I hate getting thrown back to the desktop with just ONE app.
  • Regular automatic fullscreen is flaky, let alone split view. Sometimes, closing a fullscreen app like Safari or iTunes leads to the app re-opening in fullscreen, but not always. Too bad there isn't an app-by-app setting, but that'd be "too complex" for most users to handle.
  • First party apps:
    • It must dynamically adjust for screen size because when using my 24" 1200p display, iTunes only takes up it's half.
    • No, not all apps adjust well, which is why I think it's a work in progress.

Some people scoff at using fullscreen apps, especially on large displays, but if I'm working with a web app in Chrome, I love to take it fills screen even if I get blank space on either side. Why not? Once Office:2016's crash bugs have been fixed, I can see me using split view more. I get about 70 to 120 pages a week for one of my graduate classes. We have to read and answer a list of critical thinking and/or research questions as we go. I currently use Moom to "split screen" on the desktop, but using Splitview itself will be simpler.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.