Resizing windows in OS X

[bananas]

IMNSHO resizing windows only from the bottom right corner sucks big time.
I'd like to be able to resize windows from any corner or side.

I'm wondering if there is a 3rd party solution to resizing windows in OS X?
Any software that can do this?

I know this has been discussed many times here, but I couldn't find any solution. Let's not argue this time, if this is really needed.
This is just something that I want. I'd be happy to pay few $, if that's the only way to get it, but free/open solutions are what I'd prefer.

 

[GGJstudios]

There is no app that will change the resizing corners in Mac OS X. The lower right corner is the only one that works. It takes some getting used to, if you're switching from Windows, but after a while, it's not a problem at all.

 

[richard.mac]

the lower right hand corner has three diagonal lines that you click on to re-size the window. Windows too has these three lines in the corner but also allows you to resize every side and corner. i think OS X should allow you to do this.

 

[GGJstudios]

...i think OS X should allow you to do this.

Of course, if someone doesn't like the way Mac OS X works, they're always welcome to go back to Windows. Mac isn't trying to mirror everything Windows does, nor should they. Mac OS X works fine. It's just different than Windows.

 

[richard.mac]

😕 HA! just for window resizing? i use Windows a lot but ill always have first preference for OS X. but cmon… resizing windows from the corners and sides is obviously better than resizing from one corner.

 

[applefan69]

cmon… resizing windows from the corners and sides is obviously better than resizing from one corner.

Honestly I disagree... apple chose the resize from only one corner option. Not because they simply didnt ever occur to them that people wanted more, im sure apple thought of this decision for a long time. Honestly I think they chose the better way (not trying to start a OS X > windows debate, just stating my opinion)

BEcause there doesnt have to be any "handle" for you to put your mouse over to resize the sides, apple was able to make the sides of windows have literally NO border around itself. This safes screen space and looks quite nice.

Also I HATE it, when I accidently resize my window into something i dont want in windows, or if i just want to drag my window, but for some reason the OS interprets me as wanting to resize it. My mouse aim isnt even that innaccurate.

One finally reasoning: How often do you HONESTLY resize your windows? sure maybe just one corner is a tad inconvienent, but its an inconvienence that will bother you for less then 5 seconds maybe once a day, if not less often.

 

[maxrobertson]

It would be nice to have it on both bottom corners in a metal window, but otherwise NO. Seriously, I've used windows for years and found it to be really annoying. Especially at the top where it's way too easy to accidentally resize instead of move the window.

THere is an application that will allow you to resize a window by holding down the command key and shift or something, but I don't know what it's called.

 

[AquaMethod]

You might take a look at MercuryMover. It allows you to move and resize windows using the keyboard, which is handy if the bottom-right corner is obscured for some reason. I believe it's what maxrobertson was referring to.

 

[magnetik]

BEcause there doesnt have to be any "handle" for you to put your mouse over to resize the sides, apple was able to make the sides of windows have literally NO border around itself. This safes screen space and looks quite nice.

Having only one drag handle doesn't save any screen space!

Look at where the bottom right resize handle is. Obviously there's space for the same on the bottom left without losing any window space. The same can be said for the top corners. Just move the buttons on the title bar inward a bit and there's loads of room for drag handles.

How often do you HONESTLY resize your windows?

I do it all the time. Like when I want to compare two documents side by side. Or open four terminal windows on a remote machine. Or move files between two or three different directories. Just because you don't resize windows often doesn't mean it's not a good feature. Apple is being pretty arrogant in thinking that they are doing us a favour by excluding such a useful feature. It would be simple enough to add and could be turned off with a system preference for those who prefer to resize from just one corner.

On this topic OS X should also have a "tile windows" option as Windows does.

banana, I recommend you try MondoMouse.

 

[xgman]

There is no app that will change the resizing corners in Mac OS X. The lower right corner is the only one that works. It takes some getting used to, if you're switching from Windows, but after a while, it's not a problem at all.

Actually there is, sorry, I forget the name of it, but I used it for a while and it went a little overboard on features and caused me some other issues so I got rid of it.

 

[GGJstudios]

Actually there is, sorry, I forget the name of it, but I used it for a while and it went a little overboard on features and caused me some other issues so I got rid of it.

Unless you can provide specifics, it's not very helpful.

 

[kolax]

Even in Windows, I never resized anywhere apart from the bottom right. I'm too used to the bottom right, and I see no reason to change it. In Windows, you have to position the cursor very accurately to get the resize arrows on the other three corners...pain in the arse if you ask me.

 

[BobZune]

There is a hack that may work, at least in most cases -- so if you understand the limitations, see

http://www.ocs.cz/OCSmartHacks/

I'd recommend disabling/deleting this before major upgrades to the OS.

 

[rychencop]

silly windows user.🙄

 

[jmann]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5F136 Safari/525.20)

it has never been an annoyance for me. My windows usually come up just the right sizes

 

[ntrigue]

I feel like MercuryMover would satisfy your needs.

 

[integrat.ethis]

I read somewhere that Microsoft has a patent on this, thus why OS X can't do it. Not sure though.

 

[KítscheñÇinqµe]

Having only one drag handle doesn't save any screen space!

Look at where the bottom right resize handle is. Obviously there's space for the same on the bottom left without losing any window space. The same can be said for the top corners. Just move the buttons on the title bar inward a bit and there's loads of room for drag handles.

(or to park 1/327th of a SUV). I just noticed the lower right grab region is a full square (win explorer). the rest of the perimeter has the thin grab region.

I do it all the time. Like when I want to compare two documents side by side. Or open four terminal windows on a remote machine. Or move files between two or three different directories. Just because you don't resize windows often doesn't mean it's not a good feature. Apple is being pretty arrogant in thinking that they are doing us a favour by excluding such a useful feature. It would be simple enough to add and could be turned off with a system preference for those who prefer to resize from just one corner.

yep. just fr1gg1n imitate whatever works. what kind of socialists do they think they are! 😉

On this topic, OS X should also have a "tile windows" option as Windows does.

tile vertically, tile horizontally. text editors have the same. (the usual disclaimer: our habits warp our preferences.)

 

[ThreeBays]

Honestly I disagree... apple chose the resize from only one corner option. Not because they simply didnt ever occur to them that people wanted more, im sure apple thought of this decision for a long time. Honestly I think they chose the better way (not trying to start a OS X > windows debate, just stating my opinion)

I'll just state my opinon that I find it a bit flawed myself to not be able to resize from the top side. It means one often has to move the window in order to be able to reach the sizer in the bottom right corner if its off screen or behind the dock.

I had a case where iTunes opened a window that was full-screen height so the bottom was hidden behind the Dock. The only way to size it so I could see all of iTunes was to go to system settings & move the dock to the side & then resizing iTunes. Not ideal or friendly.

Honestly I find some design choices in Mac UI to be kind of dated, but its part of its distinctive style.

 

[ThreeBays]

I read somewhere that Microsoft has a patent on this, thus why OS X can't do it. Not sure though.

Most Linux ui's support resing windows from the sides too.

 

[applefan69]

I'll just state my opinon that I find it a bit flawed myself to not be able to resize from the top side. It means one often has to move the window in order to be able to reach the sizer in the bottom right corner if its off screen or behind the dock.

I had a case where iTunes opened a window that was full-screen height so the bottom was hidden behind the Dock. The only way to size it so I could see all of iTunes was to go to system settings & move the dock to the side & then resizing iTunes. Not ideal or friendly.

Honestly I find some design choices in Mac UI to be kind of dated, but its part of its distinctive style.

You would have a valid point if the situation you described was possible. Assuming OS X is not glitched (as in your DS_store file isnt corrupt... if im not mistaken the DS_store file, saves window sizes/positioning) then there should be no way to make the itunes window big enough to be stuck behind the dock. I dont know how to explain this any easier then simply saying. Its impossible to create a situation that you cant get out of.

Since, OS X will not let you re-size a window behind the dock... this makes it impossible to make a window soo tall that it has to be behind the dock.

The only way what you described is possible is if you turn dock hiding on. resize the window to a size where it would have to get behind the dock. Then you turn the dock back on. In suhc case then yes you are correct. But in this case its not apples fault, its noones fault but your own and it has an easy fix. (turn dock-hiding back on)

edit i just noticed somethign

 

[ThreeBays]

You would have a valid point if the situation you described was possible. Assuming OS X is not glitched (as in your DS_store file isnt corrupt... if im not mistaken the DS_store file, saves window sizes/positioning) then there should be no way to make the itunes window big enough to be stuck behind the dock. I dont know how to explain this any easier then simply saying. Its impossible to create a situation that you cant get out of.

Since, OS X will not let you re-size a window behind the dock... this makes it impossible to make a window soo tall that it has to be behind the dock.

Well, I suppose since OS X must be perfect then I just imagined that this situation occurred 🙄.

The only way what you described is possible is if you turn dock hiding on. resize the window to a size where it would have to get behind the dock. Then you turn the dock back on. In suhc case then yes you are correct. But in this case its not apples fault, its noones fault but your own and it has an easy fix. (turn dock-hiding back on)

edit i just noticed somethign

I noticed that too last night.

I didn't have dock hiding on & didn't intentionally resize the window so that it would be too big... it just happened somehow. Edit: I think it happened after I had used my Mac with a high resolution monitor 1920x1200 and later I was using a lower resolution monitor, but the window sizes were saved from before. I guess that if I had sized a window so that it took most of 1920x1200 then moved to a lower res monitor I wouldn't be able to fix the size at all without changing monitor back.

Anyway, it needed a contrived solution that I think should not be necessary, and I'd rather not have to buy some more software to add this basic functionality that helps do things faster IMO.

But I guess that:
- Having limited functionality is a good thing for me.
- If there's a problem it must be my fault.
- There are ways to work around the problem, therefore there is no problem.

That mentality doesn't lead to progress. I love my Mac but I also look forward to more improvements from Apple.

 

[pxforti]

The mac way of resizing windows is plain retarded. We former windows and unix users have seen the man behind the curtain and we don't drink apple's coolaid.

If apple doesn't want to confuse simple-minded users, fine, keep the little tab on the bottom. But admit that Windows, and UNIX and LINUX got it right and allow multidimensional users to resize windows from any side.

Apple needs to let go of its anal control habits.

 

[sfraley]

resizing windows

this has happened to me a couple of times. one fix is to change the resolution of your monitor in system pref/display until you can see the bottom right corner of the offending window. once you've re-sized the window you can return your screen to it's brilliant resolution and perfect size.
i am not sure, however, why this happens to me. i am inclined to agree that i must be doing some action ill-fitted to the mac os groove, but it is pretty annoying and it seems mac could put a fix on the keyboard.

 

[sfraley]

one more thing

doing the fix this way prevents the temptation of downloading software which i know little about. i tend to obsess about downloading such and it will take me an hour of online research just to be sure enough peers have reviewed.