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Looking for a way to auto-hide apps when switching between apps

E

Erkenntnis

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 12, 2009
37
0
Nebraska
I'm looking for a way to keep distraction to a minimum when working. I'd like to have an app (or a setting) that enables me to automatically hide any apps that I switch out of. Are there any apps or hidden settings within OS X out there that would solve this issue for me? I know about Spirited Away, but it doesn't work for me and hasn't been updated in a while.

I'm running OS X v10.6.1.
 
Will the built-in Spaces feature do what you need? I'm harping on add-ons in my third thread in the last 10 minutes, and here's another case in point: "x" doesn't work for me. Trying to make X work for you first is wise. (OSX that is)
 
Thanks for your time and suggestion. I realize this must seem like a pretty newbie question.

I'm aware of Spaces, but it seems to me that it uses more system resources than I would get benefit out of it. Especially when it's possible to simply hide any and all apps whenever you want. As well, there's no obvious way to automatically make every app open its own new Space, and no way to automatically close the Space corresponding to the app when you quit the app.

I'm with you on trying to "make X work" for me without resorting to add-ons, but I think in this case that OS X's solution won't do what I want it to do, or it uses a solution that is far too complex for what I want it to do. From my perspective, an add-on is the simplest solution.

Unless there is a feature of OS X that I have simply overlooked. And by that I don't mean "a native app" but some setting buried within the native app that I may have overlooked. I don't know of anything like this, so that's why I ask.
 
Erkenntnis said:
I'm aware of Spaces, but it seems to me that it uses more system resources than I would get benefit out of it.
Click to expand...

No it doesn't. Exposé and Spaces are implemented within WindowServer, which peaks at 10% CPU at most. A third-party Application to duplicate Exposé or Spaces alone would use far more CPU as well as memory.
 
mrchinchilla said:
No it doesn't. Exposé and Spaces are implemented within WindowServer, which peaks at 10% CPU at most. A third-party Application to duplicate Exposé or Spaces alone would use far more CPU as well as memory.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. But I don't want to duplicate either one. I apologize if I have been less than clear about this. I want a way to auto-hide apps when I switch out of them. I do not want a Spaces replacement. Spirited Away is the closest utility app that I have found that will do what I want. But it hasn't been updated in almost two years, it seems, and it no longer works consistently.

What I'm looking for is basically Spirited Away, but updated so it works properly on Snow Leopard.
 
Erkenntnis said:
Fair enough. But I don't want to duplicate either one. I apologize if I have been less than clear about this. I want a way to auto-hide apps when I switch out of them. I do not want a Spaces replacement. Spirited Away is the closest utility app that I have found that will do what I want. But it hasn't been updated in almost two years, it seems, and it no longer works consistently.

What I'm looking for is basically Spirited Away, but updated so it works properly on Snow Leopard.
Click to expand...

From Googling I found this: http://osx.iusethis.com/app/hideallapps. It's not completely the same as Spirited Away but it may be the only close alternative until the developers fix SA's bugs under SL.

Edit: I found this, it seems to have been updated specifically for SL and is now 64-bit: Download Link
 
Erkenntnis said:
I'm aware of Spaces, but ... there's no obvious way to automatically make every app open its own new Space, and no way to automatically close the Space corresponding to the app when you quit the app.
Click to expand...

I realize you found something else, but...

You can force any app to open in its own new Space. In the Expose/Spaces System Preference Pane, you can create more that the default 4 spaces (there's a limit, but if I try to find out what it is, it will mess up my setup - been there, done that) by clicking on those + and - symbols, and you can assign one app per space or two apps per space, etc. The limitation might be your eyesight, or the availability of a magnifying glass. ;)
 
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