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AltTab – Windows alt-tab on macOS

alt-tab-macos.netlify.app

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Re: AltTab – Windows alt-tab on macOS

#31

Post by behnamoh »

alin23 wrote: post #17

I use this in combination with my rcmd app ( https://lowtechguys.com/rcmd ) and I can finally say I’ve reached the perfect app/window switching setup on macOS. Instant app switching with rcmd + visual window switching for multi-window apps like Xcode, Sublime Text etc. It’s similar to what I had on Windows with WinKey+number and their integrated AltTab thumbnails but better since I don’t have to count the apps in the…

I wish something similar to Autohotkey was available for mac. Karabiner comes cloes, but it's not quite the same thing.

Re: AltTab – Windows alt-tab on macOS

#32

Post by krferriter »

gms7777 wrote: post #4

Some feedback from a mac user (if this is your project): The only description of the functionality on the page is "brings the power of Windows’s “alt-tab” window switcher to macOS." As someone that hasn't used Windows in years, this doesn't actually tell me anything. What does this do that command-tab and command-` don't already do in mac?

It enables you to actually switch between windows, not between applications. If you have 3 windows of Chrome open, on Mac if you alt-tab to it it raises all 3 windows to the top of the desktop window stack, hiding any other windows which may overlap with one of these Chrome windows. This is very inconvenient if you want to be able to still see another window, say, TextEdit, you have open but it becomes hidden by Chrome window 2 you don't care about that got raised to the cover the TextEdit window merely because you switched to Chrome window 1. Switching directly to one single window is very clunky on MacOS by default.

Re: AltTab – Windows alt-tab on macOS

#33

Post by PainfullyNormal »

behnamoh wrote: post #31
alin23 wrote: post #17

I use this in combination with my rcmd app ( https://lowtechguys.com/rcmd ) and I can finally say I’ve reached the perfect app/window switching setup on macOS. Instant app switching with rcmd + visual window switching for multi-window apps like Xcode, Sublime Text etc. It’s similar to what I had on Windows with WinKey+number and their integrated AltTab thumbnails but better since I don’t have to count the apps in the…

I wish something similar to Autohotkey was available for mac. Karabiner comes cloes, but it's not quite the same thing.

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Re: AltTab – Windows alt-tab on macOS

#35

Post by 40four »

yodon wrote: post #23

For Mac users asking "how is this different from the keystrokes I already have", this app is designed to give you Windows-style switching which is subtlety but fundamentally different from OSX-style window switching. MacOS is app-centric, so you have a keystroke to switch between apps and a keystroke to switch through the windows of the app. Windows is window-centric rather than app-centric, with a unified window sta…

I appreciate your detailed explanation, I came to the comments for exactly this reason. “How is Windows ‘Alt-tab’ any different”.

I hate to say, I’m still not following you :) I have spent plenty of time developing of both Mac & Windows systems. I still can’t think of any difference in behavior.

What you said In Windows ”with a unified window stack so a single keystroke (Alt-Tab) always takes you to the previous window”, this is the same on Mac. A single press of “Cmd-tab” always goes to the previous window. So if you press it, release & repeat, you will just keep toggling the same two windows. Same behavior.

Mac, as you mentioned gives you an extra layer, where you can cycle windows of the same App ‘type’ with “Cmd - `”. Which I find very useful, and actually miss when I’m on Windows.

What am I missing? “Alt - tab” & “Cmd - tab” have the same behavior, no? Then Mac gives you the extra “Cmd - `”. Why would I want them Windows behavior? Maybe I should just download it and try for myself haha.

Re: AltTab – Windows alt-tab on macOS

#36

Post by jonny_eh »

yodon wrote: post #23

For Mac users asking "how is this different from the keystrokes I already have", this app is designed to give you Windows-style switching which is subtlety but fundamentally different from OSX-style window switching. MacOS is app-centric, so you have a keystroke to switch between apps and a keystroke to switch through the windows of the app. Windows is window-centric rather than app-centric, with a unified window sta…

As a former Windows, but now Mac, user I find Mac's system to work just fine. Especially once you learn that cmd+~ switches between the current app's windows. Plus, 4-finger swipe up shows all the current open windows.

Re: AltTab – Windows alt-tab on macOS

#39

Post by jonny_eh »

40four wrote: post #35
yodon wrote: post #23

For Mac users asking "how is this different from the keystrokes I already have", this app is designed to give you Windows-style switching which is subtlety but fundamentally different from OSX-style window switching. MacOS is app-centric, so you have a keystroke to switch between apps and a keystroke to switch through the windows of the app. Windows is window-centric rather than app-centric, with a unified window sta…

I appreciate your detailed explanation, I came to the comments for exactly this reason. “How is Windows ‘Alt-tab’ any different”. I hate to say, I’m still not following you :) I have spent plenty of time developing of both Mac & Windows systems. I still can’t think of any difference in behavior. What you said In Windows ”with a unified window stack so a single keystroke (Alt-Tab) always takes you to the previous wind…

Let's say you have Firefox and Chrome open, each with two windows. alt+tab on Windows cycles between all 4. cmd+tab on Mac cycles between each apps most recently focused window.

Hold cmd and press tab on a Mac, notice that it doesn't even show windows, it shows app icons.

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