Mac OS X - A switcher annoyances!
Thought i'd list a couple of Mac OSX annoyances, as you generally dont see them documented any where. Bare in mind I use Linux, OSX, and all windows flavours (including vista (ick :P )), so I constantly flick between them.
I'm not an OS bigot theres definately a place in the world for all the *nix's OSX & Windows (and vista?). Redmund did steal a lot of ideas from apple, i think thats generally accepted. However isn't it time apple did the same. There are some usability bits and pieces on Windows where the mac is left behind. I'll try and add ( or delete if I find a solution) more to the list as I find them.
Just to be clear, with the exception of gaming (bootcamp!) I still think Mac OSX is the best home OS by far.
- Why cant you tab to check boxes?!!!
- When a box pops up e.g. for authentication to your router, i type in my username tab to my password, then for some reason have to use the mouse to click the remember this login WHY!
- When you shift tab in OSX you can only shift between one window of all the applications running, this would be only a little annoying if, one application includes Finder. Your likely to have loads of finder windows open, so many of then will get lost behind windows, again you can get them back by using the mouse.
- Itunes really really wants a copy of all your music to it's self.
- I know there the option to change it's location in the advanced prefs. However this only works if the drive your music is on is mounted before Itunes starts. Which in my case it isn't it's sitting on my Vista Media Centre (Avoid vista like the plague, the media centre's great though).
SOLVED: Why can't I shift Tab to the window I want?
Thanks to Mags
COMMAND+`
I'm not an OS bigot theres definately a place in the world for all the *nix's OSX & Windows (and vista?). Redmund did steal a lot of ideas from apple, i think thats generally accepted. However isn't it time apple did the same. There are some usability bits and pieces on Windows where the mac is left behind. I'll try and add ( or delete if I find a solution) more to the list as I find them.
Just to be clear, with the exception of gaming (bootcamp!) I still think Mac OSX is the best home OS by far.
>Why can’t I shift Tab to the window I want?
ReplyDeleteTry Command-Tab or Expose.
Expose beats the pants off anything Windows can do. I have Expose mapped to my middle mouse button
>Why can’t I shift Tab to the window I want?
ReplyDeleteTry Command-Tab or Expose.
Expose beats the pants off anything Windows can do. I have Expose mapped to my middle mouse button
command tab is what i have been using but as I say it will only allow you to switch between applications and the windows it decides is the primary.
ReplyDeleteLike I say I think there still room for a bit of feature copying from windows.
command tab is what i have been using but as I say it will only allow you to switch between applications and the windows it decides is the primary.
ReplyDeleteLike I say I think there still room for a bit of feature copying from windows.
Re: Why cant you tab to check boxes?!!!
ReplyDeleteYou can, but you need to turn it on as by default only text boxes and lists are keyboard enabled. Go to the Keyboard and Mouse control panel, and you'll see an option for "Full keyboard access". Select "All Controls". That's it. I have no idea why it is off by default. Another useful option that is also off by default is the "Enable access for assistive devices" in the Universal Access control panel, which some freeware/shareware authors use to do some really useful stuff (e.g. the donationware tool Teleport) to control the UI.
Re: Why can’t I shift Tab to the window I want?
As already mentioned, most Mac users use exposé for this (The Application Windows option). The problem with command-tab Windows style is you can have a lot of windows, but I agree that there should be a shortcut to cycle through an apps windows once you've found the app, without relying on the apps own keyboard shortcuts. And in fact there is, from a freeware author. See http://www.manytricks.com/witch/
Check out the MacOSXHints site and trying searching a little on VersionTracker. You will often find that where Windows and Linux users have found something they miss, someone has implemented a solution, or there is one built in that is now well-known.
Hope this makes your life a little easier!
Thanks for the info, I have now started to use spaces in a 2x6 format and dedicating a space to Email, text editing etc etc which is helping.
ReplyDeleteRe: Why cant you tab to check boxes?!!!
ReplyDeleteYou can, but you need to turn it on as by default only text boxes and lists are keyboard enabled. Go to the Keyboard and Mouse control panel, and you'll see an option for "Full keyboard access". Select "All Controls". That's it. I have no idea why it is off by default. Another useful option that is also off by default is the "Enable access for assistive devices" in the Universal Access control panel, which some freeware/shareware authors use to do some really useful stuff (e.g. the donationware tool Teleport) to control the UI.
Re: Why can’t I shift Tab to the window I want?
As already mentioned, most Mac users use exposé for this (The Application Windows option). The problem with command-tab Windows style is you can have a lot of windows, but I agree that there should be a shortcut to cycle through an apps windows once you've found the app, without relying on the apps own keyboard shortcuts. And in fact there is, from a freeware author. See http://www.manytricks.com/witch/
Check out the MacOSXHints site and trying searching a little on VersionTracker. You will often find that where Windows and Linux users have found something they miss, someone has implemented a solution, or there is one built in that is now well-known.
Hope this makes your life a little easier!
Thanks for the info, I have now started to use spaces in a 2x6 format and dedicating a space to Email, text editing etc etc which is helping.
ReplyDeleteJust read this article which sort of backs up my point on the windows angle http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2254104,00.asp
ReplyDeleteJust read this article which sort of backs up my point on the windows angle http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2254104,00.asp
ReplyDeleteWhy can’t I shift Tab to the window I want?
ReplyDelete-> You can within an application. The default, with keyboard navigation activated, is COMMAND ` (just to the left of Z on an ISO keyboard - no idea how it is on an ANSI). So basically: COMMAND TAB to switch between apps, and COMMAND ` to switch between windows within an app.
As a general rule, have a look at System Preferences>Keyboard and Mouse>Keyboard Shortcuts. You can modify the default key combos and create/modify combos for any Cocoa app. One nice combo you'll notice it "Move focus to the menu bar" (default: CTRL F2). After you've activated it, you can navigate through the menus with the arrow keys.
Itunes really really wants a copy of all your music to it’s self
->Not if you tell it to behave, by going into its prefs, activating the "Advanced" panel, and unchecking "Keep iTunes Music folder organized" and "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library". Then it will just be a database of your music, wherever it is.
Hope this helps!
/mag
COMMAND ` Give this man a Medal! thats brilliant!
ReplyDeleteWhy can’t I shift Tab to the window I want?
ReplyDelete-> You can within an application. The default, with keyboard navigation activated, is COMMAND ` (just to the left of Z on an ISO keyboard - no idea how it is on an ANSI). So basically: COMMAND TAB to switch between apps, and COMMAND ` to switch between windows within an app.
As a general rule, have a look at System Preferences>Keyboard and Mouse>Keyboard Shortcuts. You can modify the default key combos and create/modify combos for any Cocoa app. One nice combo you'll notice it "Move focus to the menu bar" (default: CTRL F2). After you've activated it, you can navigate through the menus with the arrow keys.
Itunes really really wants a copy of all your music to it’s self
->Not if you tell it to behave, by going into its prefs, activating the "Advanced" panel, and unchecking "Keep iTunes Music folder organized" and "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library". Then it will just be a database of your music, wherever it is.
Hope this helps!
/mag
COMMAND ` Give this man a Medal! thats brilliant!
ReplyDeleteWell, thanks for your Nokia iSync plugins! I was looking for a plugin for my new 6267, that's how I ended here.
ReplyDeleteFor your iTunes problem, maybe an automator workflow, where you mount the Vista disk, and then launch iTunes, would work? Save the workflow as an app, and give it iTunes' icon.
Well, thanks for your Nokia iSync plugins! I was looking for a plugin for my new 6267, that's how I ended here.
ReplyDeleteFor your iTunes problem, maybe an automator workflow, where you mount the Vista disk, and then launch iTunes, would work? Save the workflow as an app, and give it iTunes' icon.
CAN U TEACH ME ABOUT Nokia Series 40 iSync plugin(FOR NOKIA 6700 )
ReplyDeleteCAN U TEACH ME ABOUT Nokia Series 40 iSync plugin(FOR NOKIA 6700 )
ReplyDelete