switching windows

neeb · #1 February 26th, 2007, 04:46 AM

I use a PC at home and a Mac (OSX) at work. I also used to use OS9 at work. I am driven to distraction with managing multiple open windows on my desktop in OSX. How on earth do you swtich between open windows /without/ minimising them? I am always having to shift windows about on the desktop and feel constantly cluttered working with OSX. I can't believe the interface is so badly designed! Although not a mac person I actually quite liked the system in OS9 where you could roll up windows and arrange them as bars at the top of the screen. Is there a away to do this in OSX, or alternatively, how do you get open (non minimised) windows to appear in the taskbar? (or whatever it's called in macland). Also, it would be good if they were labelled so that you weren't always having to peer at the little pictures trying to work out what the hell they are. Thanks.

**fryke** · #2 February 26th, 2007, 05:00 AM

If you want to switch between multiple document windows, you can either use Exposé by hitting F10 (for frontmost application) or F9 (for non-hidden applications) or, for the active application, there's a shortcut to switch to the next document window. It's different depending what keyboard layout you're using. For my Swiss-German keyboard layout, it's Cmd->. I've heard it's Cmd-` for US English layouts.

neeb · #3 February 26th, 2007, 06:16 AM

Is there a way to do the F9 thing from the mouse, like a toggle button that can be placed on one of the toolbars or the launcher? I can never remember F button numbers...

captain.joco · #4 February 26th, 2007, 07:35 AM

you can also use " hot corners ". That is what I really like about mac

Also you can assign thy F thingy to any mouse button you want. Personaly I have set F10 function to occur when I press the scroll. Works great!

Satcomer · #5 February 26th, 2007, 01:06 PM

I just set my mouse (with Logitech's software) to assign different functions to the myriad of buttons this thing has.

neeb · #6 February 27th, 2007, 12:38 PM

Ok, I've got the F9 Expose thingie on my center mouse button / scroll wheel now. I quite like it actually. Still seems perverse that there isn't an option to have active applications in the dock and to have them labelled...

Satcomer · #7 February 27th, 2007, 01:41 PM

On my five button mouse (I almost never take full advantage of them all) I have the traditional left & right mouse clicks set, the scroll wheel button is set for creating a new tab when I click on a link, the small center (just about the wheel button) is set for the application switcher (command+tab) and the two side buttons are set for back & forward in web sites.

**fryke** · #8 February 27th, 2007, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neeb

Ok, I've got the F9 Expose thingie on my center mouse button / scroll wheel now. I quite like it actually. Still seems perverse that there isn't an option to have active applications in the dock and to have them labelled...

? ... The active applications _are_ on the Dock and they _are_ labelled when you hover over the icons, but the icons themselves pretty much indicate the apps to me. But you're still talking about the _windows_, right? Well, I wouldn't want my Dock to show me the fifteen+ document windows I have open at a time. That'd be a mess, much like Windows.