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Ask HN: Why does Apple refuse to add window snapping to macOS?

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Re: Ask HN: Why does Apple refuse to add window snapping to macOS?

#271

Post by Toutouxc »

kagakuninja wrote: post #219
HDThoreaun wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's just a far more opinionated OS. Always "my way or the highway". MacOS doesnt have a good window manager because it was designed for every app to be Fullscreen and then use three or four finger scroll to switch apps. The designers really want you to use their preferred way of managing windows so they make the traditional method suck.

The roots of MacOS UI principles date back to the 1980s. Even the current UNIX based MacOS was created in 1999 based off of the Next OS. Multi-finger gestures were introduced with the iPhone in 2007, and eventually made their way onto laptops. Not only is MacOS 10 / 11 not based on multi-finger gestures, you can only use gestures if you are using a laptop or an Apple touchpad. The default mode of using MacOS is mouse…

> Not only is MacOS 10 / 11 not based on multi-finger gestures, you can only use gestures if you are using a laptop or an Apple touchpad. The default mode of using MacOS is mouse based.

Well, every single one of their input devices supports the gestures. Built-in trackpads, Magic Trackpad, Magic Mouse. I’m not saying you’re wrong, but for me (Mac user of 9 years) macOS is decidedly gesture based, and I consider them one of its biggest strengths.

Re: Ask HN: Why does Apple refuse to add window snapping to macOS?

#272

Post by capr »

SebastianKra wrote: post #256

I always feel like Apple must have some grand 1000IQ concept for window management and I just don't get it. Stage Manager, Spaces, Mission Control, Expose, Window Zooming, Hiding, Minimizing (which is different from Hiding), Fullscreen/Splitscreen... yet the first thing I do is install a third-party window manager. I tried for months to go vanilla and get my head around the features. But why, why do fullscreen window…

why do Apple users give so much benefit of the doubt to these people despite all evidence?

Re: Ask HN: Why does Apple refuse to add window snapping to macOS?

#273

Post by SebastianKra »

capr wrote: post #272
SebastianKra wrote: post #256

I always feel like Apple must have some grand 1000IQ concept for window management and I just don't get it. Stage Manager, Spaces, Mission Control, Expose, Window Zooming, Hiding, Minimizing (which is different from Hiding), Fullscreen/Splitscreen... yet the first thing I do is install a third-party window manager. I tried for months to go vanilla and get my head around the features. But why, why do fullscreen window…

why do Apple users give so much benefit of the doubt to these people despite all evidence?

because they have a track record of mostly decent design decisions

Re: Ask HN: Why does Apple refuse to add window snapping to macOS?

#274

Post by kitsunesoba »

anonymouskimmer wrote: post #240
gamegoblin wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've used a mac for 10 years now, and TIL The Windows snapping UI is much more intuitive, though.

But also annoying when you're trying to tile some (of a bunch) of windows at full height. Yes, there are ways to do it without unintentionally maximizing, but it takes more attention to detail.

Windows-style snapping can also be extremely irritating with how easily accidental snap-proposals are triggered when moving around windows that you don't want snapped or maximized. I would say that when using Windows (or Linux DE with similar snap proposal UX) the bulk of proposals triggered are unintentional. In aggregate it's a surprising amount of unnecessary noise.

This is why on macOS I prefer utilities like Moom, which tucks snap options behind a little popup that replaces the native macOS zoom button hover popup. It gives me snapping on the odd occasion it's actually useful without the spammy accidentally triggered border zoom animations that come with Windows snapping.

Re: Ask HN: Why does Apple refuse to add window snapping to macOS?

#275

Post by anonymouskimmer »

ethbr0 wrote: post #270
anonymouskimmer wrote: post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But also annoying when you're trying to tile some (of a bunch) of windows at full height. Yes, there are ways to do it without unintentionally maximizing, but it takes more attention to detail.

Is there any way to static tile in Windows without an external application? I.e. pre-configure a tiling layout of application windows, that will be restored as specified (or at least on boot)

Revert back to Vista or whatever version of Windows had an active desktop and embed applications in the HTML file used as the active desktop?

Beats the heck out of me.

Re: Ask HN: Why does Apple refuse to add window snapping to macOS?

#276

Post by rxhanson »

s3p wrote: post #245
guitarbill wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not? I dislike the Windows snapping behaviour for halves. Most macOS casual users won't need it. These apps work great and allow a lot of customisability that an OS-level snap might not provide. I'm but sure having it built in would be all upshots.

This is like saying "no we don't need a calculator for iPad, the first thing I do is go to the app store and find my favorite 3rd party calculator. Apple doesn't need to make one. this is fine" It's not that this is causing people to lose sleep. The issue is that it's an easy, tangible fix which would benefit a lot of power users. Also magnet costs money and window snapping in Win10/11 is free.

FWIW Rectangle is FOSS

https://rectangleapp.com

Re: Ask HN: Why does Apple refuse to add window snapping to macOS?

#277

Post by Bud »

coolspot wrote: post #126

Same reason why Mac mouse doesn’t have right click and why ~double-click~ [edit: pressing “return”] on a folder is renaming, and why window controls are on a left side of a window and do things unlike MS Windows (not closing, not minimizing, not maximizing). Patents.

Literally no part of this comment is correct. The Mac mouse and trackpads have had right-click for over a decade. Mac windows controls, obviously, pre-dated Windows' versions since Windows was a copy of the Mac. And patents have never had anything to do with any part of what you are talking about. How do you get 40 years of computing history wrong and then stay wrong after this long?

Re: Ask HN: Why does Apple refuse to add window snapping to macOS?

#279

Post by miguelmato »

hartator wrote: post #102

I use Magnet which is sweet. https://magnet.crowdcafe.com/

Hijacking to recommend Raycast https://www.raycast.com/ with Hyperkey https://hyperkey.app/

You can use Cap Locks as a "Hyper" key, equal to (cmd+opt+ctrl ) to launch or switch to spaces/apps with esc+{letter} so you can avoid the cmd+tab abomination.

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