X.2 UI/features...

Ripcord

Ripcord

Senior Lurker
I've scoured this site and other spots on the web, but haven't found the answer to the following regarding general X UI. Any answers/pointers would be appreciated!

- Is there any way to make the un-maximized iTunes controller "float", or appear "always-on-top"? From other posts here I'm guessing this isn't possible (and there's no add-on to enable this)
- Is there a way to do a "Hide All", or "Show Desktop"? I suppose what I'm looking for is similar to activating "Finder" and hitting "Hide Others", but fewer clicks/keystrokes is always better, and if I have a bunch of finder windows open, I usually have to sift through them all before I can make it to the desktop.
- Is there any way to make an active app hide or minimize when clicked on in the Dock? For example, clicking on an inactive app in the Dock will activate it, but It'd be great if I could do the same to de-activate an active app in the same way.
- Has anyone else noticed that the Calculator app is pretty unresponsive? Like half a sec to display an entered number/operation? Or is it just me?

Well, that's enough for now... Except - is Apple Remote Desktop's display speed much faster than Timbuktu's? It looks like Timbuktu does almost exclusive screen updating via bitmaps, and doesn't transfer any primitives at all (a la Citrix ICA, Windows Remote Desktop, X Windows, and even PCAnywhere to some extent)

Thanks,
Ian
 
For your keyboard questions here are some, i just experiment. Then you can figure them out really. these are jag only i think

Alt+Cmd+M will minimize all windows
Alt+ click the minimize button does the same

Alt+Cmd+Clicking application icon, hides all other applications and brings the clicked app to front

don't know about the calculator app though. Maybe someone else does.
 
1. There is no way to modify iTunes, itself, to float, HOWEVER... if you go to versiontracker.com, click on the Mac OS X tab, and search for "iTunes" you'll find all sorts of separate add-on programs that have all sorts of nifty features, including the ability to float over, or control iTunes from the keyboard, and stuff like that.
2. I suppose some geek around here who is fluent in AppleScript could help you out with this one. Dunno.
3. You can Ctrl-click, or click and hold down on icons in the dock, and if the program is running, choose "quit" from the menu that pops up. Pretty dang convenient if you ask me.
4. Doesn't seem slow to me, but maybe that's just me.
 
Originally posted by ischorr

- Is there a way to do a "Hide All", or "Show Desktop"? I suppose what I'm looking for is similar to activating "Finder" and hitting "Hide Others", but fewer clicks/keystrokes is always better, and if I have a bunch of finder windows open, I usually have to sift through them all before I can make it to the desktop.

- Is there any way to make an active app hide or minimize when clicked on in the Dock? For example, clicking on an inactive app in the Dock will activate it, but It'd be great if I could do the same to de-activate an active app in the same way.
Click to expand...

1.) click on finder. Hit Alt + Command + H It will hide others.

2.) Alt + Click on something in the dock. This will hide your current app while moving the focus to the app you clicked on.
 
1. When the iTunes window is minimized, you can click the play/pause, FF and RW buttons without switching from your current app. I usually tuck itunes into a corner... or at least I did until I downloaded keyboard maestro. Now I have 4 applescripts to control itunes. these are mapped to the F1-F4 keys. The applescripts are extremely simple:
tell application "iTunes"
next track
end tell

change "next track" for previous track, stop or playpause and save each as a file.

regardless of how many apps I have open, I can click on F1 to play music (it even launches itunes if it is not running) or F2 to stop the music. the response time is immediate. since I set this up, i've taken to running itunes without any open windows. :D

2. have you seen this app? Show Desktop
it sound like it may fit the bill.

3. funny you should mention this. I just saw this app in versiontracker.com: Hide From Dock
it adds a hide menu to the application's dock menu

4. finally... this is truly one of my favorite apps: Menulator
this app will put a calculator within the menu bar. my only gript is that it starts up on open mode, but this is not too much of a gripe since I don't logout often. this will add an icon (when hidden) to th emneu bar. cnd-esc will open up the calculator. at this point you can use the keypad to do simple math, you can then copy the result and cnd-h to colapse the app into an icon.

this is truly one of my absolute favorite apps. it does the jobs well and efficiently.
 
Originally posted by Javintosh
1. When the iTunes window is minimized, you can click the play/pause, FF and RW buttons without switching from your current app. I usually tuck itunes into a corner... or at least I did until I downloaded keyboard maestro. Now I have 4 applescripts to control itunes. these are mapped to the F1-F4 keys. The applescripts are extremely simple:
tell application "iTunes"
next track
end tell
Click to expand...
cmd-right arrow = next track
cmd-left arrow = previous
up arrow = raise volume
down arrow = lower volume
Sounds like yours is all set up already, but in case anyone needs it, there it is. All of those work with or without an iTunes window open.
 
I should explain that these shortcuts work when iTunes is in the background. I usually have BBEdit open and use the F1-F4 keys to control iTunes as I work.
 
As for the hide all-show desktop question: just use the above keycombination on the finder icon: alt-command click finder. voila!
 
Why would you want to hide them? ahh... you got a messy desktop :)
you are right, you will have to use the alt-yellow button thing too.
 
Originally posted by level9
cmd-right arrow = next track
cmd-left arrow = previous
up arrow = raise volume
down arrow = lower volume
Sounds like yours is all set up already, but in case anyone needs it, there it is. All of those work with or without an iTunes window open.
Click to expand...

I don't have Jaguar installed, but isn't CMD-LEFT and CMD-RIGHT reserved by IE for Back and Forward history navigation? How do these two interfere if the iTunes one is global (I presume in Jaguar)?
 
The iTunes shortcuts are not global! They will only work if iTunes is in the foreground. I got Keboard Maestro specifically to control itunes via the keyboard while using another application in the foreground.
 
I gotta try that with YoupiKey! :D

It works! Functions when another app is active, launches iTunes in the background. Sweeet.
 
By the way, thanks everyone. I got the "Show Desktop" program in Tormente's link and Javintosh's post, which does EXACTLY what I need it to (including the hiding of Finder windows). :D

"Hide from Dock" isn't exactly what I was looking for (which was to click on the icon for the app in the Dock a second time, to minimize - which I only realized later is the Win98+/Win2k+ behavior, but oh well), but it works just as well. Thanks, Jav!

Now, as far as Apple Remote Desktop speed - is it actually worth buying if I already have Timbuktu (and am happy with it except for the speed)?

Ian
 
Hmmm Calc goes very slowly for me too??? It takes about 1sec per keystroke.

I thought it might have something to do with the "Speak buttons pressed". But that's switched off, and it still goes slow.

Any ideas??
 
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