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Monday, June 4, 2007
I’ve used Windows pretty much as my primary operating system since 1996 to mainly pure frustration. Having used OS/2 Warp for five years prior to that and working on Sun workstations for the same amount of time, I knew there was better than Windows. But, you head to the slaughter house with the rest of the cows, right? Now it’s not like Microsoft didn’t get anything right about Windows. There are some really nice things about it I like, such as network browsing (why must we have a Connect button for network devices Apple?!) and application switching via ALT+Tab. I really like being able to see all of my windows in the application switcher list and not just the main application. Having to go to Entourage and then selecting its window manager to get to an open window is silly and filled with extra clicks. In Windows, I just select the opened message window and presto, it’s on my screen. Now I have the same convenience with Witch!
Authors, Many Tricks, have put together an incredible app switcher with Witch. It may have dropped the S and ER in switcher for its name but nothing was dropped from the feature set. For starters, from within Witch, you can select an open window and then minimize it. You can also maximize minimized windows as well. Other tricks include the ability to even close minimized windows as well as telling Witch to ignore certain windows altogether. Like Apple’s app switcher, you can use your mouse to make a selection from the list as well.
With a lot of customization allowed to Witch, you’d think this application would cost you at least $10. Maybe even $19.99. But the folks as Many Tricks just ask for your love…and a donation. Impressive.
I’ve been enjoying the Windows-like application switcher on my Mac for the past day now and can tell you, I am very thankful for Witch. I think you may be, too.
June 5th, 2007 at 5:35
hey, i always liked how OS X did the apple+tab, it was much cleaner looking then windows. You apple+tab to the app you want and then you use apple+~ to switch between windows in that app. But im gonna give this app a try anyway.
June 5th, 2007 at 19:21
It’s not free, but anyone who’s ever used Launch Bar could never be convinced to use anything else. There’s more of course to Launch Bar than an application launcher and switcher, but as Alex noted, OS X does have a simple “Apple + tab” to switch between applications if that’s all that is needed.
June 5th, 2007 at 19:55
I call it Expose.
For 85% of my needs though Cmd-Tab suffices nicely. The rest of the time I use Expose.
Expose does much more though and that’s why I give it high points compared to any other attempt.
cheers!
June 5th, 2007 at 20:14
I don’t get why more people don’t just use the Dock as their app switcher.
June 6th, 2007 at 10:34
Expose ALL THE WAY is better than OS X’s Command-Tab, this “Witch” hack, WAY better than XP’s Alt-Tab and still better than Vista’s Windows Flip (which is close) and KILLS Vista’s lame and wasteful eye-candy, Flip 3D.
BTW, you can control all behaviour — including “exposed” window selection — using key commands if you want. Default F9 to show ALL windows, then use cursor keys to traverse the windows and hit enter to select. If you have a multi-button mouse, invoking Expose using a mouse button is SO fast and efficient, which brings me another reason why Expose rocks…
you can drag and drop between exposed windows! Windows Flip cannot do this (I tried) and is great for grabbing things from wherever and dropping them into documents.
July 17th, 2007 at 15:26
PullTab claims to be able to disable Apple+Tab from activating Apple’s switcher. This lets you use Witch with Apple+Tab. That’s cool.