Mission Control: Is it basically useless?

[Gemütlichkeit]

I use alt + tab and mission control daily.

3 finger swipe up to get an over head view of what windows are currently open.

I only use 2 full screen apps, mail and calendar.

 

[dusk007]

So with Totalspaces I could get the real thing back.

I switched to ML for the wrong reasons wouldn't do it again. I actually thought iCloud is more than it is. Quite disappointing.

i gave MC a change and it is every bit as bad and worse than I thought. What happened to multi-monitor support. I cannot see anything good about it.
Even full screen mode I don't get. It is useless with more monitors and as I have the dock always hidden all it does is save a bit on the top. Getting in and out is extremely slow. The full screen of Opera on F11 was more useful.

Particularly annoying is the swiping between spaces left and right. I want this as fast and fluid as when I use ctrl + 1,2,3,4. The way it is on a 2010 MBP is very jerky, way to slow and basically a completely useless annoying animation that you cannot turn off. Why can't Apple give people an option???

What is the harm in letting people choose what happens with the second screen on full screen mode? The point of this mode I don't get without any multimonitor support whatsoever.
Microsoft does better with Windows 8. A mobile convertible ultrabook that is touchpad and a decent notebook will be the way to go in future. At home it also actually offers proper support for using it with external monitors.

I don't see if those UI designers from Apple have any plan whatsoever. To me it all seems like the only goal they have is make it easy for former iOS users to get used to OSX. Launchpad is just useless, same as that idiotic tab preview mode in Safari. There is really no point for either of these features in a pure Desktop OS.

I agree that MC is basically useless and now it seems one has to pay 12 bucks to get the old features back instead of just offering us an option in how we want stuff to work. Never use MC now. I will install the TotalSpaces and hope it works well. Hopefully I get new animations as well or the option to just turn them off.

What I really don't get is that these GUI designers don't recognize that there are different users with different needs. If you tailor to noobs and beginners than at least offer options for the others. It would be nice if they'd simply make two or three GUI for those different kinds of users.
Than the noobs can have their dead slow fancy animations and the rest can have efficient short cuts, great features and speed.
Only Linux does it but in Linux you really need to be a crack and there is really little to no consistency. I wish there was just 2-3 GUIs that are clearly aimed at specific user types.

 

[Lvivske]

Clearly, you never used a Mac with Snow Leopard... also, its Mountain Lion, ML... not Mountain Cub, MC... Lol

a) yes, I have, and it was a horrible experience.

b) MC = Mission Control, doofus

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Also, I don't like that with full screen apps, if you have more than one monitor the other monitor is basically grayed out and useless.

yeah, that's terrible, I found that out the other day and was pissed

 

[ixodes]

This. Spaces/Expose in Leopard/Snow Leopard was perfect...and then they had to introduce Mission Control that streamlined it way too much.

Other than the new 2011 MBA & MBP's I bought for the sole purpose of trying out Lion and now Mountain Lion, my other MBP's MBA & Mac Pro are all centered on Snow Leopard. Spaces / Expose is such a terrific compliment to my workflow. It's one of the major reasons I have yet to migrate beyond 10.6.8.

Mission Control on the other hand is simply repulsive. I hate having icons all over the place. I've never been one to have icons littering my desktop. Not only that, one glance at Mission Control reminds me of iOS, a very discouraging reminder of what Apple is doing by gradually blending the two into what may be just one OS in the future.

Yet all that said, I do realize that it's Apple's to do with what they want, and obviously they want to attract newbie's, seniors, and other novice users that have iPads, iPhones or both, to buy Apple laptops.

This marketing strategy will most certainly produce a huge payoff for Apple.

Recently I was in one of my local Apple stores where all the MBA's & MBP's on display had Mission Control visible for all to see. The instant recognition as an iOS like interface is the way that Apple lures the customers in, to touch, play, and eventually buy them.

 

[sireShonBohn]

Sorry, but this is sounding more mission-controlly by the word. Hands off Command-Tab!

I don't want it more visual. The entire point is to hit it and have it work faster than you can see it. When I switch between 2 programs I hit it so fast the computer doesn't even put the graphic on screen at all.

It's a much faster, easier version of Apple's current "use full-screen apps and swipe through them with 4 fingers." Yeah, that's a step backwards from what I have right now, and adding more images and mouse-clicks to Command Tab would similarly be a step back.

Well, the way I envision it that behavior would basically be the same. Imagine it exactly how it is now except it just pulls up the minimized windows if you switch to an app with minimized windows... which could be annoying, but you'd get used to it. OR, imagine it works exactly how it works now, but as you tab through apps it just shows the windows open for each app in a row below the app icons. So you have the option to just select each app as normal or choose an open window. Maybe it could be CMD+TAB to bring up the menu, TAB over to the app, then hold CMD+SHIFT+TAB to cycle through an apps open windows. Admit it, that would be awesome!!

 

[sireShonBohn]

So with Totalspaces I could get the real thing back.

I switched to ML for the wrong reasons wouldn't do it again. I actually thought iCloud is more than it is. Quite disappointing.

i gave MC a change and it is every bit as bad and worse than I thought. What happened to multi-monitor support. I cannot see anything good about it.
Even full screen mode I don't get. It is useless with more monitors and as I have the dock always hidden all it does is save a bit on the top. Getting in and out is extremely slow. The full screen of Opera on F11 was more useful.

I love how full screen works on Mountain Lion. I agree that if you have two monitors it's strange that you can only put a fullscreen app on one of them, but it makes logical sense to do it that way when you realize that a fullscreen app is in it's own space, but not it's own desktop. On dual screens it's not as useful, for a single screen it's very useful.

 

[Small White Car]

Admit it, that would be awesome!!

I would hate this, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't or couldn't exist... Just that they should give it its own keyboard shortcut instead messing up something that already exists.

 

[sireShonBohn]

I would hate this, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't or couldn't exist... Just that they should give it its own keyboard shortcut instead messing up something that already exists.

Why would you hate it? If you click so fast you don't see it then you wouldn't see the open windows menu.

Look at this picture:

So basically, you press CMD+TAB for normal functionality, then when you've tabbed to the right app, continue holding CMD and add SHIFT+TAB to tab through that apps windows. Probably not Shift+TAB since that tab's backwards but maybe OPTION+TAB. It's doable also I think, thumb on CMD ring on TAB, then use index to hold OPTION.

 

[Small White Car]

Why would you hate it?

Because right now I can go CMD-Tab then CMD-~ and get the exact same functionality, but without having to add a third finger into the mix. (In a rather uncomfortable position, at that.)

And besides that 3rd finger slowing you down, I think switching to the program and then cycling through full-sized windows is a lot more useful than scrolling through smaller icons.

Your idea adds a finger and make the windows harder to see. That's 2 strikes and no net gain.

 

[TonsOfFun420]

I love mission control and use it all the time. I work from home most of the time, and I have multiple apps open, some with their own multiple windows. I am constantly monitoring things, instant messaging with people across the country, writing emails etc. Even with a 27" iMac the screen can get cluttered. I have it set so when I move my mouse the the bottom left corner of the screen it activates mission control, so with a simple move of my mouse I can see if I missed any IMs, check what windows and apps I have open, or retrieve that email I was working on that got buried behind everything else.

 

[Krazy Bill]

I don't see if those UI designers from Apple have any plan whatsoever. To me it all seems like the only goal they have is make it easy for former iOS users to get used to OSX.

Well, that is Apple's plan. You figured it out. 🙂 Steve even said this is the whole purpose behind the "Back to the Mac" campaign (i.e., bring iOS features to OSX).

So we were all warned. I heeded that warning and stayed on SL. After playing with Lion's "Missing Control" I found new love with Spaces/Expose' in Snow Leopard. Such a joy to use on single/dual monitors. Dragging windows from Space to Space is elegant. Minimized windows appear dutifully at the bottom of Expose. And I can actually use the freaking arrow keys to select windows. 😱

And the trackpad is just as easy in SL as it is in MC. A little freebie app called "Warp" lets me scroll through each space by simply sliding the mouse arrow to the edges of the screen. Or... to see all spaces I can simply move a mouse arrow to a hot corner and drag windows all over the place.

And of course, BetterTouchTool brings almost all the swiping functionality of Lion to Snow Leopard without having useless desktops consuming the top part of my display. (Screen space is at a premium on a 13" display).

 

[Gemütlichkeit]

Well, that is Apple's plan. You figured it out. 🙂 Steve even said this is the whole purpose behind the "Back to the Mac" campaign (i.e., bring iOS features to OSX).

So we were all warned. I heeded that warning and stayed on SL. After playing with Lion's "Missing Control" I found new love with Spaces/Expose' in Snow Leopard. Such a joy to use on single/dual monitors. Dragging windows from Space to Space is elegant. Minimized windows appear dutifully at the bottom of Expose. And I can actually use the freaking arrow keys to select windows. 😱

And the trackpad is just as easy in SL as it is in MC. A little freebie app called "Warp" lets me scroll through each space by simply sliding the mouse arrow to the edges of the screen. Or... to see all spaces I can simply move a mouse arrow to a hot corner and drag windows all over the place.

And of course, BetterTouchTool brings almost all the swiping functionality of Lion to Snow Leopard without having useless desktops consuming the top part of my display. (Screen space is at a premium on a 13" display).

Well said. It comes down to getting used to it and once you do you can't see yourself without it. I thought Mission Control was dumb at first and just a gimmick to look more like iOS but after using it for a bit, I ditched my applications folder stack on the dock for the 4 finger pinch method.

All of this sums up the counter argument to people not getting the new UIs in Lion/Mountain Lion. Just use it.

 

[Krazy Bill]

Well said. It comes down to getting used to it and once you do you can't see yourself without it.

Uh... no. 🙂

I thought Mission Control was dumb at first and just a gimmick to look more like iOS but after using it for a bit, I ditched my applications folder stack on the dock for the 4 finger pinch method.

You're first impression was the correct one. It is dumb for a whole host of reasons. ALTHOUGH... I have to hand it to Apple for giving users the option to ungroup their windows. Holy crap, somebody was listening... sort of...

All of this sums up the counter argument to people not getting the new UIs in Lion/Mountain Lion. Just use it.

Still no excuse not to give folks the "option". (Yeah, I know, that's not generally in Apple's dictionary). It shouldn't be that difficult to revamp the old Spaces and Expose' apps and just put them back. I just think removing them was too much too soon for some.

 

[sireShonBohn]

Because right now I can go CMD-Tab then CMD-~ and get the exact same functionality, but without having to add a third finger into the mix. (In a rather uncomfortable position, at that.)

And besides that 3rd finger slowing you down, I think switching to the program and then cycling through full-sized windows is a lot more useful than scrolling through smaller icons.

Your idea adds a finger and make the windows harder to see. That's 2 strikes and no net gain.

That doesn't work for minimized windows though. There's still no fluid way to find an app and cycle through all minimized windows. Besides, my idea doesn't change anything that already exists in CMD+TAB, it only adds the option of CMD+OPTION+TAB to cycle through ALL windows including minimized.

So imagine you want to switch to an app with 4 open windows, 3 of which are minimized, here's how it would work:

1. Press CMD+TAB

2. Tab or Mouse to App Icon

3. Hold CMD+OPTION to reveal Windows including minimized.

4. Mouse or Tab to Window.

OR

The current way

1. CMD+TAB

2. Mouse or Tab to Window

3. CMD + ~ but you can't find the window?

4. Release CMD

5. Mouse to Dock, if it's hidden it's just annoying.

6. Find App Icon, hover.

7. 3 Finger swipe down.

--

So, 2 or 4 steps which work for every scenario requiring no arm movement, or 7 steps moving your hand back and forth from keyboard to trackpad.

I think my way is better, don't you???

 

[bully worm]

Not sure if this has been posted but to get the classic Expose back, uncheck "group windows by application" in system preference>mission control.

Brings back some functionality of Snow Leopard.

 

[InuNacho]

Just up to June I was using a Blackbook with a measly 4GB of ram, I always closed things that wasn't being used and never really bothered with spaces. After getting a 17 inch MBP with 16GB I now rarely close things and have just realized how amazing Spaces is! I have about 10 Safari tabs open on Space 2, Aim, mail, and Skype on 3, and everything else on 1 and it's so damn easy navigating and getting around!
My Logitech Performance MX's buttons are set up for all the expose and spaces buttons, I actually feel a bit dirty seamlessly swishing between windows.

I tried MC out on Lion that came with my MBP and I couldn't believe how difficult it was to get around. Maybe ML Mission Control changed a bit but I'm too used to this to change.

 

[dusk007]

I love how full screen works on Mountain Lion. I agree that if you have two monitors it's strange that you can only put a fullscreen app on one of them, but it makes logical sense to do it that way when you realize that a fullscreen app is in it's own space, but not it's own desktop. On dual screens it's not as useful, for a single screen it's very useful.

It would be much better and more useful if you had the option of say put a full screen app on one screen and keep it there. Maybe only switch the other screen normally but keep that one frozen.
That worked already but less convenient. Would be neat.
On a single screen you can save a bit of space but really check out how MC works with two screens. You have two independent MC yet a Full Screen spans over both why not allow splitting them.

What I think is really bad about MC for which there is definitely no sensible reason. Why cannot you move windows at will inside MC from one to another screen. In spaces you could quickly move around windows at will.
Why the hell cannot you do that anymore.

Totalspaces can do it and also allows options for animation speed. The only thing is that it has no exposé integration like the old spaces used to have.

Well, that is Apple's plan. You figured it out. Steve even said this is the whole purpose behind the "Back to the Mac" campaign (i.e., bring iOS features to OSX).

Well I guess I just don't think that is really a full plan. It is more like a partial goal that you can bring along for the ride but it doesn't much work for a primary goal to build an entire UI concept around. Even so I think the execution sucks with an inconsistent bit by bit change. The rate they are going they will wake up with some complete mess at some point and need to clean up at some point. Someone could argue it already got that far.

 

[Small White Car]

So imagine you want to switch to an app with 4 open windows, 3 of which are minimized, here's how it would work:

Ah, there's our difference. I hate minimized windows too.

I'd prefer if they just killed that function and then everything would be perfect. I think that sounds like the easiest solution.

 

[AuPhalanx]

I used to think that Mission Control was a train wreck. That is until I got a 13" MacBook Air.

Using it on an iMac, Mission Control definitely seemed like a step backwards. On a big screen, Exposé was perfect. The switch to Mission Control was ... Disconcerting, to say the least. And it didn't make my work easier.

Then I got a 13" MacBook Air.

With a small screen, Mission Control makes PERFECT sense. With full-screen apps and spaces, MC has made my work easier. And with gestures, MC is truly awesome.

That being stated, I wish Apple would give folks the option between the two.

T.

 

[3282868]

I used to think that Mission Control was a train wreck. That is until I got a 13" MacBook Air.

Using it on an iMac, Mission Control definitely seemed like a step backwards. On a big screen, Exposé was perfect. The switch to Mission Control was ... Disconcerting, to say the least. And it didn't make my work easier.

Then I got a 13" MacBook Air.

With a small screen, Mission Control makes PERFECT sense. With full-screen apps and spaces, MC has made my work easier. And with gestures, MC is truly awesome.

That being stated, I wish Apple would give folks the option between the two.

T.

You've nailed it, "Mission Control" was developed with notebooks and one display systems in mind. This is the direction Apple wants to take. I loathe it, as a professional power user I have a minimum of 2; normally 4 displays for work, at home and the office. For multiple display systems, "Mission Control" is a failure of epic proportions.

Apple cares more about notebooks/ultrabooks/iDevices than about power systems. This is evident with full screen app behavior on multiple displays, "Mission Control" and other features that make sense on one display systems.

The solution for us have been the [thankfully] new option of unchecking "Group applications by window" for an "All Windows" "Exposé" and "TotalSpaces" third party app which all bring 10.5/6 "Exposé" and "Spaces" into 10.7/8. Otherwise I would still be on 10.6 Snow Leopard.

 

[alFR]

You've nailed it, "Mission Control" was developed with notebooks and one display systems in mind. This is the direction Apple wants to take.

<snip>

Apple cares more about notebooks/ultrabooks/iDevices than about power systems. This is evident with full screen app behavior on multiple displays, "Mission Control" and other features that make sense on one display systems.

Actually, it's the direction users want to take: Apple sold more than twice as many notebooks as desktops last quarter and made more than twice as much revenue from notebook sales as it did from desktop sales. In that context it makes perfect sense for them to optimise some OS features for notebooks.

That said, I think they do need to improve the multiple monitor support for users like yourself - maybe it'll improve once they've updated the Mac Pro (so I guess in 10.9 maybe)?

 

[oneMadRssn]

You do know that ML allows you to "ungroup" all your windows now? (Unlike Lion). It's more like old Expose' except as you stated, all minimized windows go in the dock.

Not sure if this has been posted but to get the classic Expose back, uncheck "group windows by application" in system preference>mission control.

Brings back some functionality of Snow Leopard.

Image

This option has fixed MC in my opinion, no grief with it anymore. I hated the grouped windows, and now I can have the totally ungrouped all the time.

Granted, I don't ever use more than two desktops (to separate work and personal mostly), and the only full-screen app I ever use it Calendar. I can understand how some users who relied on spaces heavily in SL would be upset with that MC changes.

 

[KnightWRX]

However the ability to CMD+*insert number here* was also good when switching around.

CMD+*insert number here* works just dandy with MC in ML/Lion.

I also miss how in SL, that when in expose, clicking the application icon in the dock would bring up application expose. Used that ALL the time

Uh ? That still works fine with ML/Lion. I use it all the time. Not to mention you can Expose + CMD-TAB too.

Have you people even used ML/Lion ? 😀

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There a quick way to do app expose without a trackpad?

I have it mapped to Mouse5.

 

[Krazy Bill]

The rate they are going they will wake up with some complete mess at some point and need to clean up at some point. Someone could argue it already got that far.

Well, it's not going away. 🙂

you realize that a fullscreen app is in it's own space, but not it's own desktop.

Herein lies the problem.

Why, (I repeat, "why") do Full Screen Apps behave this way? Other applications have had full screen capabilities for years and have merrily co-existed with regular apps. Apple certainly didn't invent the concept of hiding a menu/toolbar.

The answer: Full Screen mode forces OSX users to use their windows like an iOS device. They are no longer windows - it's as simple as that. No Desktop, no other windows allowed. I find this disconcerting and very telling. The Finder in OSX will one day be gone and we'll be forced to manage documents from within that application.

Don't get me wrong... Mountain Lion is quite usable and I'm not concerned with "right now". I just see where things are slowly headed and always thought I'd be a lifetime OSX user. Not anymore.

But it's all moot. The consumer-lemmings have spoken with their wallets. They like the iWay of doing things which Apple correctly perceives as the way to conduct business. One needs only to look at the neutering of the Mac Pro line to see that Apple has all but abandoned the pro/corporate world.

So, either the people here complaining about where OSX is headed (like me) are more brilliant than Apple's iDevice simpletons who get orgasmic over every new Apple offering or... we're just too stupid and set in our ways to "get it".

Personally, I'm going to try to stay on Snow Leopard until it outlives its purpose or my MBP dies (I can't install SL on a new one). Then I'll see what the non-Apple world has to offer.

 

[heisenberg123]

Well, it's not going away. 🙂

Herein lies the problem.

Why, (I repeat, "why") do Full Screen Apps behave this way? Other applications have had full screen capabilities for years and have merrily co-existed with regular apps. Apple certainly didn't invent the concept of hiding a menu/toolbar.

im pretty sure if it wasnt its own desktop you would not be able to easily swipe left or right to other full screen apps

or i might be wrong on that