22 ms·

Window management in OSX is horrible. Finder is even more horrible. It reminds me of the Windows 95 Explorer. A network drive hangs? Good luck with Finder...,

by Eun 10y ago

Window management in OSX is horrible. Finder is even more horrible. It reminds me of the Windows 95 Explorer. A network drive hangs? Good luck with Finder..., the whole system halts.

csomar 10y ago
I agree. It got better with Sierra but it's still far away from Windows in this regard.
mattnewton 10y ago
This is true, but better touch tool, moom, divvy, etc all leapfrog windows or ubuntu window management. The network drive problem, I have not run into with my NAS, so idk where to help you there.
Aaargh20318 10y ago
> Window management in OSX is horrible. What is so horrible about it ? I have the exact same reaction every time I have to use Microsoft Windows. Window management is one of the strongpoints of MacOS. > A network drive hangs? Good luck with Finder..., the whole system halts. I've never encountered this problem on both AFP and SMB shares.
- specialp 10y ago
  Fullscreen mode loses focus constantly with 2 monitors, SMB shares are very slow especially with large amounts of files to be listed. Finder crashes a lot dealing with network filesystems. The search on Finder is extremely bad and doesn't hold a candle to Windows 10 search. I am typing this on a Macbook Pro so I am not some Windows fan. OS X has fallen way behind in its desktop incarnation. The only reason I use OS X is due to its Unix shell for development. I don't think anyone can honestly say that as a GUI OS X is better than recent Windows.
  - coldtea 10y ago
    >Fullscreen mode loses focus constantly with 2 monitors I've never lost focus with fullscreen/2 monitors. So?
    - Whitestrake 10y ago
      "I haven't experienced the problem you're talking about, so it must not exist."
- kerbalspacepro 10y ago
  ... on Windows you drag a window to the right and make it 1/2 or 1/3 or 1/4 the screen. On a Mac dragging the window... drags the window.
  - Aaargh20318 10y ago
    I never understood the whole obsession with running applications fullscreen. The whole point of a multitasking OS is to run multiple apps at the same time. If you need to run your apps fullscreen you probably need a bigger monitor.
    - blacksmith_tb 10y ago
      The common use-case is laptop vs. desktop. If you have a 34in. WQHD display, full-screening one app is going to be silly; if you're stuck with the built-in display on an MBP when you're at the cafe, it's much more practical.
    - komali2 10y ago
      For the other perspective - it actually boggles my mind when I see coworkers with one desktop open with 3-4 windows kinda mushed all around, different sizes, etc. Like, you paid a lot of money for that good display, why are you not using it?! How can you stand having to scroll all over a window to see something, when you could just fullscreen it? Is it that they need to context switch quickly? Why not just use multiple desktops, with all fullscreen or at least fully-half-screened apps? I never understood this type of workflow and when I was in school it was everywhere, it's like apple was pushing for people to have little windows strewn out over an otherwise gorgeous display.
      - marssaxman 10y ago
        I am using it, that's the whole point of having multiple windows open. Each window shows whatever is relevant about that context, and it takes up no more space than necessary so I can have as many sources of information visible as I want. Also, it's nice for spacial awareness. I feel a little bit lost when a window takes over the entire screen and blanks everything else out.
- gabemart 10y ago
  > Window management is one of the strongpoints of MacOS. Can you give an example of this? I regularly switch between macos, windows and ubuntu and I have a hard time coming up with much positive to say about macos window management (unless a third-party tool is used).
- guelo 10y ago
  command-tabbing between apps instead of windows is just wrong imo. You constantly have to keep in mind if the window you're switching to is part of the same app or a different app.
  - Qcombinator 10y ago
    The way command-tabbing brings all an application's windows forward always bugged me too. Fortunately, there is LiteSwitch (http://sysbeep.com http://sysbeep.com) that lets you switch to the frontmost window only. While I'm at it, I'll also plug https://manytricks.com/witch https://manytricks.com/witch which I find invaluable for switching between windows and just got an update.
  - 72deluxe 10y ago
    Cmd-` lets you switch windows within an application though, as I recall (can't confirm as I'm on Windows at work)
  - jakibaki 10y ago
    Hyperswitch (https://bahoom.com/hyperswitch https://bahoom.com/hyperswitch) fixes that perfectly.
- flukus 10y ago
  Having the menu bar on top is confusing when you've got multiple windows open.
issa 10y ago
My number one complaint about OSX is also window management. I've never found anything comparable to the way Windows 7 let you use the left/right arrows to line up windows on half the screen. That is the only thing I miss about Windows, but it's a pretty big one. Also, when dis/connecting monitors on OSX, windows often get lost. ps- if anyone has any suggestions or recommendations, I'd love to hear them!
- macintux 10y ago
  I use Divvy and am pretty happy with it. Lets me configure different zones and assign keyboard shortcuts to put windows in those zones.
- r00fus 10y ago
  BetterTouchTool / BetterSnapTool
  - dilap 10y ago
    Seconded. I use + love BetterSnapTool. Works great.
    - seansmccullough 10y ago
      Best tool ever. The custom touchpad gestures are great, too. You can do stuff like three-finger swipe up/down to switch to previous/next tab, and rotate right/left to open/close taps.
      - Lio 10y ago
        I hardly ever use the touch gestures but BTT will let you drive everything from the keyboard. I can put windows almost anywhere at will now. I know I'm being selfish here but it would be nice if Apple covered this sort of stuff instead of concentrating on emoji and Siri. Both of which I have no real use for.
  - careersuicide 10y ago
m_fayer 10y ago
The fact that finder doesn't let you retrieve or enter your current FS path just like a URL in a browser is criminal.
- coryfklein 10y ago
  Drag the icon in the top center of the window onto your text editor or terminal, it will paste the full path from the Finder window. Admittedly it's annoying that this feature is hidden and requires dragging with the mouse, but it is possible.
  - lemoncucumber 10y ago
    You can also drag any folder or file from the finder into an open or save dialog and it will take you to that folder / select that file
    - travelbyphone 10y ago
      This is one of many features i much appreciate in Mac OS X. Active corners is another powerful features that makes window managing and file moving a bliss. I find macOS much stickier than iOS. I can go without my iPad but not without my mac.
    - 72deluxe 10y ago
      This is great and I miss it every day at work on Windows. I end up Alt-D , Ctrl-C, alt-tab, Ctrl-V to work out where anything is.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
- lemoncucumber 10y ago
  Cmd-shift-G lets you enter a path (with tab completion) in the Finder or in any open/save dialog
  - 10y ago
superdaniel 10y ago
It bothers me more that windows explorer doesn't have tabs natively. I use that all the time in Finder and it's way more convenient to be able to right click on a directory and say open a new terminal tab in that directory then having to go to the title bar and type in cmd in windows.
deong 10y ago
I'm especially partial to sitting there with a 4+k screen with nothing open, opening two finder windows to copy a file, and having them spawn on top of each other as tiny little 500px squares in the middle of a vast ocean of unused screen space.
touart 10y ago
I use ShiftIt (https://github.com/fikovnik/ShiftIt https://github.com/fikovnik/ShiftIt) for this.
amiga-workbench 10y ago
I don't know why better touch tool's window snapping isn't built into the OS, it makes my iMac usable.

by Eun 10y ago

Window management in OSX is horrible. Finder is even more horrible. It reminds me of the Windows 95 Explorer. A network drive hangs? Good luck with Finder..., the whole system halts.

csomar 10y ago

I agree. It got better with Sierra but it's still far away from Windows in this regard.

mattnewton 10y ago

This is true, but better touch tool, moom, divvy, etc all leapfrog windows or ubuntu window management. The network drive problem, I have not run into with my NAS, so idk where to help you there.

Aaargh20318 10y ago

> Window management in OSX is horrible. What is so horrible about it ? I have the exact same reaction every time I have to use Microsoft Windows. Window management is one of the strongpoints of MacOS. > A network drive hangs? Good luck with Finder..., the whole system halts. I've never encountered this problem on both AFP and SMB shares.

specialp 10y ago
Fullscreen mode loses focus constantly with 2 monitors, SMB shares are very slow especially with large amounts of files to be listed. Finder crashes a lot dealing with network filesystems. The search on Finder is extremely bad and doesn't hold a candle to Windows 10 search. I am typing this on a Macbook Pro so I am not some Windows fan. OS X has fallen way behind in its desktop incarnation. The only reason I use OS X is due to its Unix shell for development. I don't think anyone can honestly say that as a GUI OS X is better than recent Windows.
- coldtea 10y ago
  >Fullscreen mode loses focus constantly with 2 monitors I've never lost focus with fullscreen/2 monitors. So?
  - Whitestrake 10y ago
    "I haven't experienced the problem you're talking about, so it must not exist."
kerbalspacepro 10y ago
... on Windows you drag a window to the right and make it 1/2 or 1/3 or 1/4 the screen. On a Mac dragging the window... drags the window.
- Aaargh20318 10y ago
  I never understood the whole obsession with running applications fullscreen. The whole point of a multitasking OS is to run multiple apps at the same time. If you need to run your apps fullscreen you probably need a bigger monitor.
  - blacksmith_tb 10y ago
    The common use-case is laptop vs. desktop. If you have a 34in. WQHD display, full-screening one app is going to be silly; if you're stuck with the built-in display on an MBP when you're at the cafe, it's much more practical.
  - komali2 10y ago
    For the other perspective - it actually boggles my mind when I see coworkers with one desktop open with 3-4 windows kinda mushed all around, different sizes, etc. Like, you paid a lot of money for that good display, why are you not using it?! How can you stand having to scroll all over a window to see something, when you could just fullscreen it? Is it that they need to context switch quickly? Why not just use multiple desktops, with all fullscreen or at least fully-half-screened apps? I never understood this type of workflow and when I was in school it was everywhere, it's like apple was pushing for people to have little windows strewn out over an otherwise gorgeous display.
    - marssaxman 10y ago
      I am using it, that's the whole point of having multiple windows open. Each window shows whatever is relevant about that context, and it takes up no more space than necessary so I can have as many sources of information visible as I want. Also, it's nice for spacial awareness. I feel a little bit lost when a window takes over the entire screen and blanks everything else out.
gabemart 10y ago
> Window management is one of the strongpoints of MacOS. Can you give an example of this? I regularly switch between macos, windows and ubuntu and I have a hard time coming up with much positive to say about macos window management (unless a third-party tool is used).
guelo 10y ago
command-tabbing between apps instead of windows is just wrong imo. You constantly have to keep in mind if the window you're switching to is part of the same app or a different app.
- Qcombinator 10y ago
  The way command-tabbing brings all an application's windows forward always bugged me too. Fortunately, there is LiteSwitch (http://sysbeep.com http://sysbeep.com) that lets you switch to the frontmost window only. While I'm at it, I'll also plug https://manytricks.com/witch https://manytricks.com/witch which I find invaluable for switching between windows and just got an update.
- 72deluxe 10y ago
  Cmd-` lets you switch windows within an application though, as I recall (can't confirm as I'm on Windows at work)
- jakibaki 10y ago
  Hyperswitch (https://bahoom.com/hyperswitch https://bahoom.com/hyperswitch) fixes that perfectly.
flukus 10y ago
Having the menu bar on top is confusing when you've got multiple windows open.

issa 10y ago

My number one complaint about OSX is also window management. I've never found anything comparable to the way Windows 7 let you use the left/right arrows to line up windows on half the screen. That is the only thing I miss about Windows, but it's a pretty big one. Also, when dis/connecting monitors on OSX, windows often get lost. ps- if anyone has any suggestions or recommendations, I'd love to hear them!

macintux 10y ago
I use Divvy and am pretty happy with it. Lets me configure different zones and assign keyboard shortcuts to put windows in those zones.
r00fus 10y ago
BetterTouchTool / BetterSnapTool
- dilap 10y ago
  Seconded. I use + love BetterSnapTool. Works great.
  - seansmccullough 10y ago
    Best tool ever. The custom touchpad gestures are great, too. You can do stuff like three-finger swipe up/down to switch to previous/next tab, and rotate right/left to open/close taps.
    - Lio 10y ago
      I hardly ever use the touch gestures but BTT will let you drive everything from the keyboard. I can put windows almost anywhere at will now. I know I'm being selfish here but it would be nice if Apple covered this sort of stuff instead of concentrating on emoji and Siri. Both of which I have no real use for.
- careersuicide 10y ago

m_fayer 10y ago

The fact that finder doesn't let you retrieve or enter your current FS path just like a URL in a browser is criminal.

coryfklein 10y ago
Drag the icon in the top center of the window onto your text editor or terminal, it will paste the full path from the Finder window. Admittedly it's annoying that this feature is hidden and requires dragging with the mouse, but it is possible.
- lemoncucumber 10y ago
  You can also drag any folder or file from the finder into an open or save dialog and it will take you to that folder / select that file
  - travelbyphone 10y ago
    This is one of many features i much appreciate in Mac OS X. Active corners is another powerful features that makes window managing and file moving a bliss. I find macOS much stickier than iOS. I can go without my iPad but not without my mac.
  - 72deluxe 10y ago
    This is great and I miss it every day at work on Windows. I end up Alt-D , Ctrl-C, alt-tab, Ctrl-V to work out where anything is.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
lemoncucumber 10y ago
Cmd-shift-G lets you enter a path (with tab completion) in the Finder or in any open/save dialog
- 10y ago

superdaniel 10y ago

It bothers me more that windows explorer doesn't have tabs natively. I use that all the time in Finder and it's way more convenient to be able to right click on a directory and say open a new terminal tab in that directory then having to go to the title bar and type in cmd in windows.

deong 10y ago

I'm especially partial to sitting there with a 4+k screen with nothing open, opening two finder windows to copy a file, and having them spawn on top of each other as tiny little 500px squares in the middle of a vast ocean of unused screen space.

touart 10y ago

I use ShiftIt (https://github.com/fikovnik/ShiftIt https://github.com/fikovnik/ShiftIt) for this.

amiga-workbench 10y ago

I don't know why better touch tool's window snapping isn't built into the OS, it makes my iMac usable.