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Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

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Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#111
post #82
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you shroud this basic misunderstanding in so much emergent mystery, sure, but otherwise no, and the real reason is simple enough - that's just one of the defaults in some "UI kits", which macOS devs can also use, including "disparate or bespoke" ones, and could've been just as consistent without it being positioned at the single top spot

Can we agree that it could be a 2nd or 3rd order effect of a design choice such as putting the menu system as part of the system's UI nudging developers to follow conventions instead of inventing their own menu UI because it resides inside a window which they can control completely, hence giving the thought of "I can do the menu however I want" a bit more probable? It's hard to analyse and quantify this ergonomics ob…

Sure we can agree on nudges and indirect effects, it just wasn't the original statement I've argued with

Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#112
post #44

Interesting! Is there a way to center the content of the bar on the screen? The split is very cumbersome to use on an ultrawide display and I'd be happy if there was a way to put the content on the middle 3rd.

If it did it would have to be only for external displays because the laptops all have a notch there

Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#113
post #95
post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stage Manager was introduced in Ventura, which is definitely a form of window management. I don't think you can call that "badly stalled"?

Does anyone actually use Stage Manager though? Probably a bias on my part but I don't know anyone who use it ever

I do. I made myself try it for a week a while back For Science and ended up kinda liking it, at least enough not to bother turning it off again.

Yesterday my coworker asked me what neat window manager I’m using and it took me a moment because I’d forgotten about it.

Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#116
post #95
post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stage Manager was introduced in Ventura, which is definitely a form of window management. I don't think you can call that "badly stalled"?

Does anyone actually use Stage Manager though? Probably a bias on my part but I don't know anyone who use it ever

Stage Manager is confusing as hell. It was designed for iPads in an attempt to give them some semblance of window management but even there it makes no sense. They tried to reinvent window management to be more "simple" but in doing so they made something WAY more complicated to the point where even computer-savvy folks can't figure out how to do basic tasks.

https://youtu.be/sFJuAjyWOc4?t=500

Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#117
post #26

Offtopic, but am I the only person surprised how badly Apple stalled when it comes to window management and UX on MacOS? I feel that today, as a power user/professional, MacOS wouldn't be usable without applications like Bartender, external window manager such as Rectangle/Divvy etc. I feel strong attraction coming from yabai, but disabling SIP is too much for me. Personally I'm reaching the point where I'd migrate t…

Fully agree. For work I use Windows 11 and even without any third party tools, its ability to easily group and align windows using either the keyboard or mouse is vastly superior to what macOS has. The only thing that macOS is still best at is Exposé. The smoothness, animations, superior Apple touchpads to make the gesture and then ths ease of picking the right window are second to none.

Windows' multiple desktops implementation is half-baked and janky too. I was excited when they added that in Windows 10 but didn't end up using it because it's too awkward, slow, and limited.

Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#118
post #24

Seems like one of those apps ripe for Sherlocking by Apple. Which would also solve screen recording privacy issues.

Apple's sort of already sherlocked this. The "Control Center" that consolidates a bunch of menu bar widgets into one big iOS-style dropdown full of controls solves the same problem of "I have more crap in my menu bar than I have room for, especially now that my laptop has this stupid notch". Except it's a private interface so absolutely zero of the programs that want to put stuff in your menu bar can offer up buttons in there.

Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#119
post #23

I am not the target audience for macOS menu bar managers like Ice. You can drag-reorder icons in pure macOS without any third-party software, and the additional options seem unnecessary.

Why would anyone write comment like this? Like does it add anything to the discussion? Who cares that you dont use menubar apps so you dont need Bartender.

I opened the README and Usage section only showed how to reorder items, nothing else. This app is utterly unnecessary for that purpose. I thought, perhaps other macOS users are unaware of that, and my comment would help.

Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#120
post #93

Not the submitter, but I installed this a couple days ago to replace Bartender. For those not following along at home, the Bartender author just sold it to some sketchy app mill. It’s an app that legitimately requires screen recording permissions to work. I trusted the old author’s reputation. I have zero trust in the own owner. Ice isn’t as good yet. It’s not nearly so configurable. For example, you can either hide…

> I trusted the old author’s reputation. I have zero trust in the own owner. As of now, I have zero trust in the old author too. The lack of communication is the fault of both parties. Ben Surtees has caused serious damage to their own reputation. Any new software released under that name will have a hard time gaining trust and traction.

Probably one of the terms of sale. But choosing to receive even more money above protecting the privacy of those who previously paid you money and trusted you is pretty dastardly IMO.
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