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SwitchCenter: an OSX Mission Control alternative (invite-only)

7 points by offbeatport 4y ago

Hello HN. I’m working on a tool that aims to replace OSX's Mission Control: https://www.switchcenter.app. It will display the windows in a more orderly fashion and will also give you some control over them (i.e. you can close the windows or go full-screen). When released, it will be a paid-for tool with a trial version available to try it out. I would very much appreciate if anyone would be willing and curious enough to try the alpha-preview version and provide some feedback. If you want to participate please go to https://www.switchcenter.app to subscribe, or send me an email. Thank you in advance.

gus_massa 4y ago
Fake questions are not well received here. Can you change the title to something like "Switchcenter: a OSX Mission Control alternative" or "Switchcenter: Revised osx windows management" ?
- offbeatport 4y ago
  Thank you for the feedback. Very good advice. I just didn't want to mislead people into thinking that this is ready for general use.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
twright 4y ago
A video demo would be helpful, does it improve window management between spaces at all? I really liked spaces/mission control in OSX 10.6 before they changed it to what it is now. You could have a grid of desktops and move windows between them without having to go to the desktop first.
- offbeatport 4y ago
  Good idea. I'll make a video and upload it to the page. Unfortunately, the first version will not support spaces. I tried to add that functionality as part of the MVP but as it turns out, working with OSX's private functions for spaces is not straightforward. However, I do appreciate that you (and probably other people too) use spaces, so I'll add it in at some point in the near future.
user3939382 4y ago
My biggest problem in this area is the extremely annoying delay/animation when switching desktops/spaces in macOS or switching between full screen apps. The only way I’ve been able to solve this is buying TotalSpaces but it also has problems.
- offbeatport 4y ago
  I agree. For me, I tried to use reduce motion and turn off most of the animations in OSX (this is how I did it https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/142734 https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/142734). It didn't completely remove the animations but it went from "slide in/out" animation to "fade in/out". It felt like a better experience.
frau_wacholder 4y ago
signed up for news. very interested in this, i rely very heavily on window management tools

7 points by offbeatport 4y ago

gus_massa 4y ago

Fake questions are not well received here. Can you change the title to something like "Switchcenter: a OSX Mission Control alternative" or "Switchcenter: Revised osx windows management" ?

offbeatport 4y ago
Thank you for the feedback. Very good advice. I just didn't want to mislead people into thinking that this is ready for general use.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

twright 4y ago

A video demo would be helpful, does it improve window management between spaces at all? I really liked spaces/mission control in OSX 10.6 before they changed it to what it is now. You could have a grid of desktops and move windows between them without having to go to the desktop first.

offbeatport 4y ago
Good idea. I'll make a video and upload it to the page. Unfortunately, the first version will not support spaces. I tried to add that functionality as part of the MVP but as it turns out, working with OSX's private functions for spaces is not straightforward. However, I do appreciate that you (and probably other people too) use spaces, so I'll add it in at some point in the near future.

user3939382 4y ago

My biggest problem in this area is the extremely annoying delay/animation when switching desktops/spaces in macOS or switching between full screen apps. The only way I’ve been able to solve this is buying TotalSpaces but it also has problems.

offbeatport 4y ago
I agree. For me, I tried to use reduce motion and turn off most of the animations in OSX (this is how I did it https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/142734 https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/142734). It didn't completely remove the animations but it went from "slide in/out" animation to "fade in/out". It felt like a better experience.

frau_wacholder 4y ago

signed up for news. very interested in this, i rely very heavily on window management tools