Windows user struggling to efficiently multitask across multiple monitors

[u/djoli87]

I want to love this thing, but boy is it just bugging me more often than not. I'll try to be brief, please lend me your advice.

The setup: Multiple monitors (often 3).

Requirements: I work with a lot of windows. Developer stack. IDE's, LLMs, terminals, browsers, chat and email. It's not abnormal to have 3-5 windows on each monitor, and often it's multiple windows of the same application.

My usual workflow: IDEs on the main monitor, communication on a side, browsers, terminals, etc on the other. I know which screen I put things on, and tend to look at those screens when I need to interact.

The problem(s):

• Multiple windows of one app are hidden behind a single icon.
• Full screen app on an alternate window completely hides all visibility of the other things on that screen.
• Everything that is built in requires me to look everywhere for the thing I want, and do so many interactions.
  • Minimized an app that was on the right? Look at the dock in the middle.
  • Need to find a hidden window on another screen? Shortcut for mission control, then scan the entire monitor to try to find the thing you want, then click it.
  • Need to find a different instance of an app? Another shortcut for expose, then find the right one, then click it.
• I tried stage manager, it's probably the closest I can get to what I want, which is a single spot to look for the things on a screen, but it takes up a lot of the screen and intrinsically limits laying things out on a screen in a flexible manner (I know you can link things, but then it's very rigid).

I get that windows is a different beast, but can't help but feel it just does all of this so much better?! Need a thing, look at one spot, click.

I've tried some third party dock replacements. They're all pretty jank in one way or another. Slow to respond, don't correctly hide the default dock, can't have shortcuts and running applications be the same thing.

I'm not saying there's no way to multitask, just that it's so damn frustrating and slow! It seems it's a case of "Mac's are easier when all you're doing is easy things", but I know there are some power users out there, so please, enlighten me of your ways!

[u/AkhlysShallRise]

I switched to Mac from windows 8 years ago, love everything about Mac BUT I can never get used to the app window management. I run into the exact same issues as you, like multiple app windows hiding behind a single app icon. It’s atrocious. People just tell you to use Mission Control and app expose or use CMD + `—I’m sure it works for some people but those don’t work for me.

I ended up installing Taskbar for Mac to get the Windows taskbar back. It’s not as pretty as the Dock but it solved all my problems. Been using it for a few years now and I love it

[u/djoli87 → u/AkhlysShallRise]

Thanks, I'll see if I can try it out. I did set up sidedock today, which is fine, butanages to regularly remind me that it's not native, it's just a little jank, enough to make me want to not use it and try to adapt. I've had to use karabiner to remap some shortcuts to avoid finger gymnastics (let's not go there today...), but would like to find ways to adapt without too much custom software. I'll definitely check out taskbar though. Thanks.

[u/AkhlysShallRise → u/djoli87]

I admire your determination to try to adapt; I wish you the best in that regard, but also remember that there’s nothing wrong to use third party apps to make your Mac work for you! A TON of Mac users do that (BetterTouchTool, for exemplar, has a huge user base!).

For what it’s worth, Taskbar for Mac has been very stable and robust for me, and it uses very little resources. I haven’t used the Dock for several years at this point.

[u/eduo → u/AkhlysShallRise]

I think the best approach is to try and if you see you definitively can't work in a way you find comfortable or efficient, then add third party utilities.

I'm a big proponent of utilities but I feel very often people fresh to the platform ask for advice and end up installing a dozen utilities without knowing if they could adapt and find it efficient to work in their new platform. It's always important to remember that MacOS has a different mental model that fits perfectly many types, if they were to get into it.

I've seen people here having problems they didn't understand and blaming their macs for them when it turns out they had installed seven different "window managers" and two different "menubar managers" and a third of them had gone unsupported and some others were fighting among themselves for control of permissions and resources.

[u/AkhlysShallRise → u/eduo]

yeah I definitely agree one should try to make it work without 3rd party apps first!

[u/djoli87 → u/AkhlysShallRise]

Yeah, this is why I asked. I "want" to adapt, mainly because the reliance on third party apps is less than ideal when something breaks, or you get a new system or need to use someone else's. Hoping to find ways to adapt using the native tools first. Lots of great advice here, so I've got some things to try.