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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?

#61

Post by D13Fd »

rcarmo wrote: post #50
OJFord wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why then the two 'full-ish screen' systems? There's 'spaces' as you say, and also the traffic light button that makes it 'maximised' I suppose. I just don't see why if you'd thought it out, and that's (either of them) the you wanted people to do it, why you'd have both options. And then there's the weird 'close actually closes the window, not the app' (even though for some large percentage of apps the one window is a…

Those are intended as shortcuts for creative apps where you typically need the entire screen real estate. There was precedent for that going back to pre-X macOS, but spaces and full screen windows are a consistent approach at switching contexts in creative apps.

The reality is that they had the green maximize buttons originally (although the exact functionality has changed a bit), then tacked on the full screen experience later. It’s not the result of some unified vision, although in practice is works fine IMO.

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

#62

Post by Aaargh20318 »

D13Fd wrote: post #58
Aaargh20318 wrote: post #54

I think the Apple Vision Pro is a good example of why snapping makes no sense. In this environment, your screen is basically the entire world around you, it can be as big as you want. Would you want to divide this into neat rectangles filling your entire view ? If your screen is that large, you basically size your windows to fit the content and then arrange them spatially into something that makes sense to you. The d…

We’re talking about the desktop OS, not Apple Vision Pro, which isn’t even out yet. Snapping makes lots of sense for a 2d desktop OS.

Only if your monitor is too small. Snapping makes no sense on my 5k2k ultrawide, for example.

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

#63

Post by lesserknowndan »

voisin wrote: post #60

It’s shocking that you can’t tell MacOS which monitor to keep the app tray on (or to simply show it on all monitors), and that it constantly moves!

Yes you can. In the Settings, Display, Arrange Monitors you drag the menu bar to the screen you want to have the dock.

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

#65

Post by jagged-chisel »

D13Fd wrote: post #61
rcarmo wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those are intended as shortcuts for creative apps where you typically need the entire screen real estate. There was precedent for that going back to pre-X macOS, but spaces and full screen windows are a consistent approach at switching contexts in creative apps.

The reality is that they had the green maximize buttons originally (although the exact functionality has changed a bit), then tacked on the full screen experience later. It’s not the result of some unified vision, although in practice is works fine IMO.

The green button was originally “zoom” which, to Apple, meant “adjust this window to its content, or revert to the previous size.” Some apps implemented zoom as maximize, but that was not The Apple Way®.

Their full-screen-window-gets-its-own-desktop-space was added later.

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

#66

Post by superchroma »

tgv wrote: post #35
dubcanada wrote: post #4

This does seem like a personal preference. I quite like MacOS window management, and I hate Windows window management.

Me too, but that's also because Windows' version is ... weird. I drag a window up, a pop up appears showing grids where I can put my window (nice), I drop it there, and suddenly another window appears. That doesn't fit the "snap window" flow. On the mac, I use a freeware thingy (Rectangle, linked elsewhere), and I've assigned three shortcuts, and that's enough for me.

You can turn the selection and forced snap of other windows off, and I do.

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

#68

Post by smaccona »

tennisflyi wrote: post #43
febeling wrote: post #5

Just use Rectangle app https://rectangleapp.com/

I use Spectacle but it’s not being maintained any more. Thanks for the suggestion.

When you install Rectangle, it has an option to mimic Spectacle’s keyboard shortcuts (if I recall correctly) which I thought was a really thoughtful touch.

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

#69

Post by djfdat »

D13Fd wrote: post #57
djfdat wrote: post #55

From my relatively short experience but ongoing with Mac, MacOS lacks a lot of features that Windows has. It has many inferior options that people just accept. Some people find third party software or modifying plists to bend the operating system to their will. As much as I hate many many many design choices in Apple's ecosystems, I adjust where I can and move on.

Like what? I use both every day, hard to think of any major features for my usage other than snapping that Mac OS lacks.

- Peek at desktop

- Quick hide-all-windows to copy something from your desktop to your clipboard, then bring everything back

- Alt-tab, especially when it comes to apps with multiple windows, and windows in different states, such as minimized

- A modern/fully-featured default web browser without a locked down extension ecosystem. - A start menu for seeing all your applications

- A taskbar with application grouping

- File Explorer is much more full-featured than Finder

- Better settings, especially when it comes to relevant settings being in one place

- The concept of uninstalling an application vs just deleting the application

- In some cases, an actual function key row

That said, I've used Windows for almost 15 years now, and I think many of its choices are second nature to me. Many of my friends are masters of switching windows with Expose, which I absolutely despise. And I still use Windows for work, but use Mac in personal usage. I usually end up frustrated at things that work on Windows but don't on MacOS, but rarely vice versa.

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

#70

Post by viraptor »

tlb wrote: post #2

I don't miss it. I carefully dragged each window to align just right one time, and never had to redo it since. It persists across reboots, and remembers placements separately for the two monitor arrangements I use (laptop, laptop + big monitor) so I only had to do the fiddly work once.

> It persists across reboots, and remembers placements separately for the two monitor arrangements

You're lucky. I didn't even realise this is supposed to happen. Every day I start by moving everything to the correct screen and correct location. It's never remembered and each time windows move to a completely random spot. Things are even worse if I work from a different location for a bit. (Some windows are pseudo-minimised and I have to click the icon a few times to show them again)

It's not even random/occasional. I put slack on the right third of the right display every day. It's never there after sleep or cable reconnection.

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