Why don't we have snap to screen edge like Win7?

[wankey]

With OS X, I always find it annoying that windows can still me moved when maximized. I don't see the point of this since 99% of the problem this causes is that my windows are offset by 2-5 pixels (which I then have to zoom, then re-zoom to maximize the window again)

Why can't we have snapping to window edges? Many programs already do this, and they don't detract from the design purity of OS X (unlike Windows 7 which does this over the top and fugly screen edge animation)

A slight nudge when your window hits 2-4pxs off the side of the screen would suffice. A center line should exist too, since I find myself using my screen very much so half and half - it is very annoying to get the windows to be half and half equally.

 

[Nero Wolfe]

With OS X, I always find it annoying that windows can still me moved when maximized. I don't see the point of this since 99% of the problem this causes is that my windows are offset by 2-5 pixels (which I then have to zoom, then re-zoom to maximize the window again)

Why can't we have snapping to window edges? Many programs already do this, and they don't detract from the design purity of OS X (unlike Windows 7 which does this over the top and fugly screen edge animation)

A slight nudge when your window hits 2-4pxs off the side of the screen would suffice. A center line should exist too, since I find myself using my screen very much so half and half - it is very annoying to get the windows to be half and half equally.

Well, it's a new feature in Windows7 so it's a bit early for someone else to have it also.

More importantly, it depends on two things Windows does that aren't part of OS X by design: Window Tiling and Window Maximizing. Applications aren't set up to behave like this so it would be kind of pointless to put in a trigger for behavior that doesn't really exist.

 

[larval]

Well, it's a new feature in Windows7 so it's a bit early for someone else to have it also.

Haven't seen win 7, but if I understand correctly I don't think it's that new, e.g. gnome has had this for a while I believe. It would be nice, but personally I don't miss it that much.

 

[liketom]

yep i've been using the snip thingy and it reminded me of a cheap safari snippit knock off

also the better one is littlesnapper a much better way to snapp stuff and upload to web or whatever

 

[bertpalmer]

Seems cool to me - but not sure how it would work with spaces turned on. I do miss window maximizing for some applications.

 

[lordthistle]

I think Apple made their choice according to philosophical reason: if you want a windowed environment, then there is no reason for full screen maximized windows.

Frankly, I prefer the apple choice: when you have a large monitor, the apple choice is much more comfortable. When I work on my father's pc with Windows, I always end up having the browser occupying the entire 22" screen with a little content and gigantic white borders...

The only problem in the windows maximization in mac os is its inconsistency. Some window just enlarge to fit the content, others go to full screen...

I cannot really realize how important this W7 "snap to screen" would be in every-day usage...

thistle

 

[portent]

Because most people don't sweat it when their windows aren't perfectly aligned.

If you find yourself stopping your work just because your windows are 2-4 pixels away from being perfectly aligned, you probably have a minor case of OCD. That's fine for you, but I just don't sweat it.

 

[chewietobbacca]

Well one of the new features on win 7 is perfect for big monitors - drag two windows to opposite sides of the monitor, and it puts them in each half of the screen to look at two documents.

But as others wrote, it's a new win7 feature so its not like there is much to say why they don't have it yet, when windows only came out with it recently

 

[Chrysaor]

You can have it for XP and Vista too with AeroSnap.

http://www.aerosnap.de.vu/

 

[macrem]

I use Ubuntu sometimes and I think what the OP is describing has been a Compiz effect for ages (with wobbly windows). When you get close to an edge, the Window is pulled to the edge. I find it annoying, there is no real benefit and have been meaning to turn it off.


Edit: per this vid, the behavior is different than I described above, still annoying: the window dimensions change depending upon which edge you drag the window to. IMO this behavior would conflict with Spaces* on OS X. Also, Zoom optimizes the window resizing and I don't think OS X is lacking a feature that resizes your window to some arbitrary dimensions just because you dragged it to an edge.

Btw, has Windows 7 imitated Spaces? The new taskbar sure looks like MS imitated the Dock & elements of a cleaner menu.

 

[lordthistle]

Well, Windows do not have Spaces in the default installation because of incompatibilities with legacy software, the same problem which has been causing Microsoft major headaches (and great incomes). Old software, using old libraries, cannot become Spaces-compliant. And Microsoft cannot afford introducing major changes considering the huge amount of serious and critical applications that have been developed on that platform.

Spaces have been available for MS Windows since XP as an optional download from Microsoft. The implementation was quite poor, but it obviously was not intended as a major functionality to include in new operating systems. Furthermore, there are a plenty of freeware applications offering virtual desktops, but, still, they do not work for the same reasons of the MS implementation.

So far, Mac OS window management has been good, better than windows and more consistent than any GUI for Linux. I do hope that they will introduce improvements, that, as in any other field, are still possible.

thistle