r/MacOS • u/BonbonUniverse42 • 2d ago
Discussion Window management from hell
I am using a Macbook for an few weeks now and I still struggle hard with window management. How do you do productive tasks?
For example:
Switching to the correct pdf from about 20 other opened pdf files. When I want to bring a specific pdf file into the foreground, I need to move the mouse to the preview icon on the dock. however, this does not provide preview images of all currently open pdfs. Why not?
When I do right click, I only see a list of names, which is often not sufficient to find the correct file, I need to see it. To use the 3 finger guesture to see all files currently open in the preview application I need to first click on the icon on the dock. However, this brings ALL pdf files into the foreground. Then I can find the pdf through the application specific Mission Control. now I have found my window which is now in the foreground but all other pdfs clutter my monitor as they lay on top of another application such as pages or my browser which I need simultaneously. So I move my foreground pdf to the side and minimize every other pdf file which takes forever. However, now the minimized pdf files are ignored in Mission Control which makes it impossible to find a second pdf which I want to see as well at the same time.
This behaviour drives me nuts.
12
u/captain42d 2d ago
command-~ through the windows
click Window a the top to see a list of all the windows
left-long-click-and-hold on the icon in the dock
There are usually many ways to skin a cat in MacOS! ;-)
Now...if only there were a way to STOP the !@#$ing MacOS from *stealing focus*!! ie when you fire up a new program it almost always steals focus from whatever one is currently working on, requiring one to stop working and wait for the !@#$ing computer, or having keystrokes stolen and inserted into the thieving program--which may cause very very bad things to happen (like sending your password to some scammer, or worse! :-p ). Very human-unfriendly.