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Tell HN: Cinch, W7-like window management for OSX

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Re: Tell HN: Cinch, W7-like window management for OSX

#31

Post by dtf »

euroclydon wrote: post #19

The window management for OSX sort of... sucks. I've been using Windows for years and just bought a Mac and I was pretty shocked at how much effort it took to tile two windows.

I agree, but I'm still kind of an Mac noob so maybe I'm just doing it wrong. The two things that irk me most: having to hit that tiny triangle at the bottom right of the window to resize it (compare to Linux/etc window managers' shortcut of moving or resizing the nearest corner from anywhere within the window), and the seeming lack of fullscreen support in most apps, which really hurts on my tiny macbook screen.

Re: Tell HN: Cinch, W7-like window management for OSX

#32

Post by edd »

ghshephard wrote: post #24

Probably the single greatest flaw of OS X, from my perspective, is how it renders large monitors so much less effective than two medium size monitors - nobody I know would prefer a 30" monitor to two (2) 24" Monitors - If someone could only write a windowing manager that converted a single large monitor to two simulated physical monitors, that would be a start. Even better would be to recognize you need to treat a 30…

Arguably in the Windows world this is even worse. The default reflex in Windows is to maximise every window you have. At least with on OSX the default way of making a window bigger is just to "zoom" it to a better size.

Also regarding tiling terminal.app you should really have a look at GNU Screen. You can use it to create multiple sessions in one window that are split in a 'sane' way.

Re: Tell HN: Cinch, W7-like window management for OSX

#33

Post by jsankey »

GHFigs wrote: post #27
euroclydon wrote: post #19

The window management for OSX sort of... sucks. I've been using Windows for years and just bought a Mac and I was pretty shocked at how much effort it took to tile two windows.

Your experience with a new interface will be improved by making use of the affordances it offers rather than lamenting the ones it does not. To do otherwise is akin to eating soup with a fork.

Your comment might be more constructive if your offered the OP a solution to their actual problem of tiling two windows (or perhaps the underlying need to compare the contents of two windows easily). What affordances does OSX offer in this respect?

Re: Tell HN: Cinch, W7-like window management for OSX

#34

Post by iamelgringo »

boredguy8 wrote: post #12
ghempton wrote: post #9

What a milestone for windows when people on OSX are using 3rd party apps to emulate its UX.

Still doesn't handle multiple monitors as elegantly as Win7 though, unfortunately. The Win7 windows management is so intuitive, most of the features I discovered accidentally, as I went about the process of manually doing what windows should have done for ages.

I've been using windows 7 since shortly after the first beta went out, and one of the things that I really love the OS (and why I've stuck with Windows in general) is how it handles my 3 monitors. Flicking apps and windows across my large central monitor and two 19" peripheral monitors with just a few keystrokes is really, really nice.

One of my New Years resolutions this year is to see if Win 7 makes life a little easier with 5 monitors. :) I hate context switching. I want it all in front of me at all times.

Re: Tell HN: Cinch, W7-like window management for OSX

#35

Post by euroclydon »

GHFigs wrote: post #27
euroclydon wrote: post #19

The window management for OSX sort of... sucks. I've been using Windows for years and just bought a Mac and I was pretty shocked at how much effort it took to tile two windows.

Your experience with a new interface will be improved by making use of the affordances it offers rather than lamenting the ones it does not. To do otherwise is akin to eating soup with a fork.

Who doesn't need to occasionally view two windows at once? Is that not one of the affordances that OSX offers. By the way, do I need to list all the feature of OSX that I do use for you not to assume I don't use them?

Re: Tell HN: Cinch, W7-like window management for OSX

#36

Post by lemming »

amoeba wrote: post #7

This is immensely useful. Would love to see support for custom drop-zones with custom actions. For example, allow the user to change the width from 1/2 screen to 1/3 or 1/4. Or even 1/2 width and 1/2 height instead of 1/2 width and full height.

+1 - I use a 30" monitor at work, half the screen is too much. But I'd love to be able to split it into thirds, with the top target area being the middle third.

Re: Tell HN: Cinch, W7-like window management for OSX

#38

Post by alecthomas »

dtf wrote: post #31
euroclydon wrote: post #19

The window management for OSX sort of... sucks. I've been using Windows for years and just bought a Mac and I was pretty shocked at how much effort it took to tile two windows.

I agree, but I'm still kind of an Mac noob so maybe I'm just doing it wrong. The two things that irk me most: having to hit that tiny triangle at the bottom right of the window to resize it (compare to Linux/etc window managers' shortcut of moving or resizing the nearest corner from anywhere within the window), and the seeming lack of fullscreen support in most apps, which really hurts on my tiny macbook screen.

This application is useful for resizing and moving: http://coderage-software.com/zooom/index.html

However, it's kind of ordinary that you have to pay $15 to get functionality that should be included in the WM.

Re: Tell HN: Cinch, W7-like window management for OSX

#39

Post by GHFigs »

jsankey wrote: post #33
GHFigs wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your experience with a new interface will be improved by making use of the affordances it offers rather than lamenting the ones it does not. To do otherwise is akin to eating soup with a fork.

Your comment might be more constructive if your offered the OP a solution to their actual problem of tiling two windows (or perhaps the underlying need to compare the contents of two windows easily). What affordances does OSX offer in this respect?

The problem of tiling two windows is one with many solutions, one of which is the submission itself. As to the actual problem expressed by the OP, my comment addresses that.

Re: Tell HN: Cinch, W7-like window management for OSX

#40

Post by GHFigs »

euroclydon wrote: post #35
GHFigs wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your experience with a new interface will be improved by making use of the affordances it offers rather than lamenting the ones it does not. To do otherwise is akin to eating soup with a fork.

Who doesn't need to occasionally view two windows at once? Is that not one of the affordances that OSX offers. By the way, do I need to list all the feature of OSX that I do use for you not to assume I don't use them?

You are not talking about just viewing two windows at once. You are talking about a very particular way of doing so, which is the way you are used to. Everyone experiences this with all kinds of interfaces. If a new interface does not work that particular way, you have the options of: adapting yourself to the interface, adapting the interface to yourself (e.g. with third-party software), rejecting the interface, or complaining about the interface on message boards. I happen to believe that the former options are preferable to the latter.

And no, I do not need you to list anything. This is not a macho pissing match and I am not insulting your manhood. Use what works best for you.

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