alt+tab

There are also two other ways of doing something similar (albeit not exactly the same):

Command-` (that's the key to the left of the 1) cycles between the windows of the active application. You can turn this off (or change the shortcut) in the Keyboard & Mouse preference pane.

Command-tab lets you cycle between open applications. When you select an application, all of its windows will spring to the front.
 
One basic difference here is the handling of apps/windows in Windows vs. Mac OS X. In Mac OS X, windows belong to applications. Thus, if an application is hidden, so are all of its windows (and they're not available through Exposé, F9 or F10). So you first have to Cmd-Tab to the application to bring it to the front before being able to choose the window.
 
For the record, the Command key is the same as the Apple key. Hardcore Apple fans normally call it the Command key, but I usually refer it as the Apple key to switchers and then explain that it is also called the Command key. :)
 
I usually do, too, but then again, I don't want to spend the next fifty years referring to one key with two names. ;) ...
 
fryke said:
One basic difference here is the handling of apps/windows in Windows vs. Mac OS X. In Mac OS X, windows belong to applications. Thus, if an application is hidden, so are all of its windows (and they're not available through Exposé, F9 or F10). So you first have to Cmd-Tab to the application to bring it to the front before being able to choose the window.

yes i agree
 
Remember too that you can hit the shift key with the aforementioned key combos to go backwards through apps or windows.
 
martjc786@yahoo said:
how do i do this on a mac?

There's a program called Witch (http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/25871&vid=184825) that gives you the same functionality as alt-tab with a little extra usefulness.

Take a look here:
daemon.jpg

Witch will allow you to 'tab' to any open window, even the ones that are hidden (ie. minimized to the dock).
 
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