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10.4 Expose Wishlist

whooleytoo

whooleytoo

macrumors 604
Original poster
Aug 2, 2002
6,607
716
Cork, Ireland.
Expose is a great feature, but a few things still bug me about it
- Windows aren't named until you mouse over them (not much use for text windows).
- 'Exposed' window locations are a bit random and unpredictable.
- Expose isn't that well integrated with Command-Tab.
- With lots of windows open, it's still too cluttered, (and stutters on slower machine)

Here's how I'd love to see it done..

F9 - Current Application mode. Shows the windows of the current app. The preference pane will allow the user to turn "Display Names for all Windows" on and off. Also a preference item to specify how the windows are ordered (e.g. "Sort by most recently viewed", so the most recent is at top left, the least recent at bottom right).

F10 - All Applications mode. The windows of all open applications show, but each applications windows are grouped into a pile. So there'll be "Photoshop - (7 windows)... Mail (1 window)..etc". Again, the apps are sorted as the user specifies. Clicking on the application name brings that application to the front, but click on the "7 Windows" to go to Current Application mode for that app.

F11 - As before.

Cmd-Tab - The same as F10. You then can Cmd-Tab or use the mouse to switch from application to application.

F8(?) - Virtual desktops. (we're in dream territory here). Press F8 to show an 'exposed' view of all the current user's virtual desktops. Clicking on one will perform a vertical 'cube roll' to the selected desktop. (So, horizontal rolls to switch between users, and vertical rolls to switch between a user's desktops).

I'd pay $129 for that alone! ;)
 
With F9 and F10, I would love to be able to hit the Tab key to cycle through the exposéd windows
 
Chaszmyr said:
With F9 and F10, I would love to be able to hit the Tab key to cycle through the exposéd windows
Click to expand...

Yeah, Tab just cycles through the apps. It's probably not a bad idea, especially considering (as has been previously mentioned) with some window layouts, some windows aren't accessible via the arrow keys, so you have to move the mouse.

Perhaps typing the first few letters of the Windows name (as in the Finder) is another way?
 
10.4 Expose Wishlist

I would love to be able to, in the f9 (windowed mode), use the minimized apps like normal (e.g. use fwd, pause, rwd buttens on minimized iTunes, same with all other apps etc.). Also with f9, have windows stay minature in background while a single application is brought to the forefront and can then be miniaturized again along with others and then another app brought forward and used while all others say miniature yet functional. in f11 have apps stay completely off the desktop while you work on a single or singled out applications (e.g. use finder > open apps in folder while all other apps say away from screen) instead of the way it is now that every time a new app is openned or new function started, f11 is disabled and all apps go back to display.

i don't use f10 so i can't think of anything to add to it except that some how the three would be more intergrated so that f9 could work while having f10 also enabled and vice-versa, rather than f9 disabling f10, etc. Also having f9/f10 enabled while using f11. This I feel would be the culmination of expose.

Stated another way:

inter-operablity of all three (f9,f10,f11); completely integrated. Neither f9 disables f10, nor f11 the others (e.g. windows stay minature after using f11 and disabling it.). f11 is not disabled by pressing on the border (if border remains) at the edge of the screen, nor by the openning of a new app and using it. everything stays off of the desktop while one or selected applications are used. on f9 (miniature windows), there can be one or selected apps running at full size while all others stay in background miniaturized. Applications running at full size can then be miniaturized and sent to background along with others, while more applications can be brought to the forefront in full size without disabling f9. Also with f9, miniature applications would able to be used like normal full sized apps (e.g. miniaturized apps still function as normal; itunes buttons work, safari 'forward' and 'back' buttons work, and the same for all other applications). Is there a way of submitting these suggestions to mac?
 
whooleytoo said:
Yeah, Tab just cycles through the apps. It's probably not a bad idea, especially considering (as has been previously mentioned) with some window layouts, some windows aren't accessible via the arrow keys, so you have to move the mouse.

Perhaps typing the first few letters of the Windows name (as in the Finder) is another way?
Click to expand...

you already can.
 
you can select other windows in the F10 menu with the arrow keys.

Forget Exposé, what I want is:
•To be able to leave the session open on CDs in Finder CD burning
•Incorporate VueScan's technology into ImageCapture (fundamentally adding support for 99% of the scanners out there, kinda like OSX10.3 did for printers)
•iChat Away messages act the same as AIM (I hate getting like 4-5 messages from the same guy saying "Are you there?" Either this or tell Apple to tell AOL to fix AIM so that people know that little graphic means you're AWAY)
•Make networking in 10.4 behave more like Linux (specifically Knoppix, where network connecting is done in the web browser, also computers are mounted, not shares-see attachment: I know the OSX mockup in the attachment is in Finder and not Safari, I didn't realize it should be in Safari until later and it should look the same as if it were in Finder (only in probably item view or columns view))
•Make an Option where the only way to wake up is via the powerbutton (keeps me from accidentally waking my pbook up)
•Support more Bluetooth Dongles (my ebay one goes on the frittz every now and then)
•Make animated gifs in Safari freakin' work right (They're too fast now)
•Make a better Image Capture Icon (looks like it belongs in 10.1 rather than 10.3)
•Make iApps and Addressbook be able to delete stuff in their groups/Albums/playlists without also having to find them in the library and delete them there (maybe a CMd+Opt+Delete?)
•In QTPro, let us set custom sizes for the Export options for MP4 (even it it defies the ISMA)
•In QT, give us Full Screen (I know there's an AppleScript for it, but it'd be better if QT either included the script with the install or if QT had fullscreen builtin)
•Make the yellow minus widget collapse a window in place rather than minimze (why minimize when there's hide?)
•Make Cmd+H fade windows out rather than making them pop away
•Print Center doesn't need to make every new printer added the default printer.
•Sometimes when upgrading (from 10.2-10.3) keychain access kinda quirks out. Make sure that doesn't happen with 10.3-10.4
•My mom's computer (Windows) lost the wireless signal in my house so as a result, some multigig files I was copying over froze my computer. I couldn't even get pass the "Screen saver" password thing.
•Make iSync work with Palm devices without having Palm Desktop installed
•Make iSight video capture more fluid (iMovie)
•with iChat, be able to have Rendezvous without ending up having to sign up with an AIM name
•Fix Finder icon glitches
•Fix Desktop text glitches
•Fix dual-screen "loosing wallpaper" glitch
•Be able to disable a monitor in display preferences when 2+ are connected (good for playing games on a TV or CRT w/o having to close the PB lid and then wake it up)
•Leave the debug menu in Safari by default (maybe rename it "Expert" or something. Because many people want to export, import bookmarks or make Safari work like IE)
•When putting a Mac to sleep, let it unmount all external mounts. I hate forgetting to unmount my fw drive and then opening my pbook only to get the "Device Removal prompt". I also hate Finder freaking out when it can't find a network mount. Though that should be fixed by integrating network browsing/connecting into Safari. At least the entire OS doesn't rely on Safari to function. So you can still work while Safari "thinks" instead of not working while Finder "thinks."

I think that's it for now, though most of these things I mentioned "should" be in 10.3.4 in all fairness.

EDIT: some more
•right now when folders in the dock have folders within them, their colored labels are not available via a ctrl+click. I want this fixed
•Read+WRITE FTP in OSX
 

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jackieonasses said:
apple-tab
Click to expand...

You can use Tab, or Apple Tab to switch applications while in Exposé mode, but not between individual windows. If you have lots of windows open in one application, you can't tab between them.

Arrow keys are one possibility, being able to select a window by typing the first few letters of the name would be a nice addition. Being able to decide the ordering of Exposéd windows would be better again! ;)
 
7on said:
•When putting a Mac to sleep, let it unmount all external mounts. I hate forgetting to unmount my fw drive and then opening my pbook only to get the "Device Removal prompt". I also hate Finder freaking out when it can't find a network mount. Though that should be fixed by integrating network browsing/connecting into Safari. At least the entire OS doesn't rely on Safari to function. So you can still work while Safari "thinks" instead of not working while Finder "thinks."
Click to expand...

yeah, I really think there could be impovments in the realm of sleeping, with things like options for various levels of sleep, a quick ways to temporarily change sleep settings, without going into preferences, etc. Most of all, laptop issues-I'd love to be able to close my computer but have it stay awake, just turn the screen off (particularly as the screen on my PB 17 chews through batteries like nobody's buisness) but still be able to continue playing music etc.

Also, I want changes to how the F1-F12 keys work. It would be really nice if I could change only some of the preset keys, and leave others as is. with the whole backlit keyboard thing, I only have two programmable keys, which I use to control itunes, and the fn key does expose for me. I'd be very happy if I could leave F1-F5 for screen brightness and volume control, and have the rest programmable, with holding fn and the key doing the default operation, except of course for F7, because I still can't figure what on earth of any usefulness it does for me.

Another thing I'd love for the next operating system is probably not possible, but I don't really understand hardware well enough to know. Given the way RAM gets clogged up and doesn't clear completely until your computer is turned off, would there be any way to clear this without shuting off your computer? My idea, knowing next to nothing about how this actually works, is in the apple menu with sleep, restart, and shut down, there would be "clear ram". I'm thinking it could put all the essentials one one ram chip, shut off power to the other chip for a second, copy everything back over to the clean chip, and cut off power to the other chip. Of course, this would require multiple chips. And, people who were aware of this stuff woudl just turn system prefrences to monitor the ram and clear it automatically.

Or of course, apple could fix the whole thing by doing one of those nifty RAM chip dedicated to holding the OS so restart is instantaneous....

Now that I would love. "here, the mac. You don't need to shut it down, but it doesn't matter if you do, either, b/c it boots in .0003 seconds."
 
whooleytoo said:
You can use Tab, or Apple Tab to switch applications while in Exposé mode, but not between individual windows. If you have lots of windows open in one application, you can't tab between them.

Arrow keys are one possibility, being able to select a window by typing the first few letters of the name would be a nice addition. Being able to decide the ordering of Exposéd windows would be better again! ;)
Click to expand...

you can use the arrow keys to choose windows
 
7on said:
•iChat Away messages act the same as AIM (I hate getting like 4-5 messages from the same guy saying "Are you there?" Either this or tell Apple to tell AOL to fix AIM so that people know that little graphic means you're AWAY)
Click to expand...

It would be nice if they did this, but until they do, you can use iCAR which is what I have used for the past few years.
 
In Expose...

While F10 (show all windows for application) is in effect -
1) Tab cycles between applications
2) Arrow keys let you move between application windows

With F9 (all windows tiled) is in effect -
1) Arrows move between the windows
2) Tab switches you into F10/All Windows mode

I think you have everything that was asked for already, except the ability to close windows.
 
Bear said:
While F10 (show all windows for application) is in effect -
1) Tab cycles between applications
2) Arrow keys let you move between application windows

With F9 (all windows tiled) is in effect -
1) Arrows move between the windows
2) Tab switches you into F10/All Windows mode

I think you have everything that was asked for already, except the ability to close windows.
Click to expand...

Except the ability to select a window by typing the first few letters of it's name, which would be very useful if you have lots of windows open (as I always do) and they look alike in Expose mode (as source code windows tend to do).

That, and sorting, would be cool.
 
7on said:
I couldn't get that iCAR thing to work
Click to expand...


:( great... more detailed instructions....


Download iCAR from one of these mirrors http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/icar/iCAR-0.6.dmg?download




Mount the disk image, and double click "Install iCAR"

Click "Next"

Choose to install for everyone, or for just you... Click "Install"

wait a few seconds

Click "quit"

Quit "iChat"

Start "iChat"

Go "iChat > Preferences > Auto Reply

Click "Enable"

Select when to send an auto-reply

set when to send the Auto-Reply

Set What to send....

Set a optional prefix


That is all.... should work


ok, so they weren't very detailed...
 
7on said:
• Make an Option where the only way to wake up is via the powerbutton (keeps me from accidentally waking my pbook up)
Click to expand...
You can do this now, at least partially: sudo pmset -a lidwake 0 will make it so that opening the lid won't wake up your Mac. At this point, I don't think you can disable the keyboard and mouse waking up the Mac. But that may be a limitation of the hardware, so don't get your hopes up too much. :)

man pmset for more details on that, BTW. I will pre-emptively agree with you that there should be a GUI (in Energy Saver prefs) for those options that don't have one (the UPS ones, which were added in 10.3.3, have a GUI if you have a UPS hooked up).
• Make iApps and Addressbook be able to delete stuff in their groups/Albums/playlists without also having to find them in the library and delete them there (maybe a CMd+Opt+Delete?)
Click to expand...
You can do this already (I think it's just cmd-delete), at least in iTunes. Not sure about anything else.
• Read+WRITE FTP in OSX
Click to expand...
Heck yes. :)

WM
 
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