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rwilliams

macrumors 68040
Apr 8, 2009
3,847
1,222
Raleigh, NC
Apple should buy AppCleaner and make it part of the OS for uninstalling apps. While I'm at it, I'd love it if they bought SuperDuper to let users make bootable clones. I never use Time Machine because I have a laptop and am not always in the same place as my external drive. And TM doesn't make bootable clones, so I find it pointless. I use SuperDuper and then a couple of rsync scripts to back up my iTunes and photo libraries.
 

azpc

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 24, 2011
295
229
Apple should buy AppCleaner and make it part of the OS for uninstalling apps. While I'm at it, I'd love it if they bought SuperDuper to let users make bootable clones. I never use Time Machine because I have a laptop and am not always in the same place as my external drive. And TM doesn't make bootable clones, so I find it pointless. I use SuperDuper and then a couple of rsync scripts to back up my iTunes and photo libraries.

That would be nice.
 
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dyn

macrumors 68030
Aug 8, 2009
2,708
388
.nl
Remember Window position and size.

Advantage: If you want the window to open at a specific size and location you won't have to drag and resize each and every time you open the app.
This one shouldn't be on the list because it is a bug that the app builder needs to resolve. OS X already supports remembering window size and position. Currently there are some issues with this in the El Capitan betas. Also, Console doesn't remember its position but other apps like Safari, VMware Fusion, Terminal, Opera, OmniFocus, Firefox, Reeder, OneNote, etc. all remember size and position of their windows.

If you can drag and resize the app to a location on your screen why can't you tell it to always open there?
If this is about the use of multiple desktops then I can understand. With Spaces that was introduced as part of Leopard you could set up which app opened in which space. Since they merged Exposé and Spaces into Mission Control this is no longer possible. You can now only set it to a current desktop which means that you first have to create the desktops then tell which app needs to go to which desktop. It would be nice if we could do this the same way we could with Spaces (thus define a predefined set of desktops and on which desktop which app should open).

Window Snapping like Windows 7 (Aero Snap) as suggested by Dyn. "It's ok-ish the way it is done now in El Capitan but it would be much more useful if it was like Windows."
More clarification: the current window snapping doesn't allow an easy transition between whatever size the window is to a part of the display as this behaviour is part of fullscreen mode. Splitview is only usable for fullscreen apps, not for windowed apps.

Custom colors for folders. This is a frequent student request on both the Mac and Windows machines. You could assign different folder colors for different types of content.
How is this different from the tagging system that replaced the label system?

Rework Contacts
Alphabetic selection option like iOS
What do you mean with this one? I see no difference between the sorting in iOS 8.4 and OS X Yosemite.
 

azpc

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 24, 2011
295
229
Request: Alphabetic selection option like iOS

What do you mean with this one? I see no difference between the sorting in iOS 8.4 and OS X Yosemite. - DYN


The letter headings on the right side of the contacts. Click on the G group for last names that begin with G. Saves a lot of scrolling time.

05-contact-me-100054424-large.png
 
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azpc

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 24, 2011
295
229
Dyn,

Maybe I can clarify why remembering window position and size is important.

Two primary reasons:

  • Large monitors.
  • Multi screen Macs.
For some crazy reason, many apps insist that they open every time on top of each other. Finder and Preview are two of the worst. Microsoft apps also do this periodically.

When this happens, the user has to reposition and resize the App when the app is re-opened. I have seen students furious at their Macs because of this behavior.

Apple needs to take control and give the user the ability to set the app window size and location on the desktop.

What about apps that will only open a certain size? For example: Ccleaner and Soundsoap 4 only open in predefined sizes.

In these cases, the user still should be able to place the open app in the desired location on the screen and have that location remembered.

For apps that support sizing, these apps should remember both their window size and position if the user asks them to.

Does this help clarify the reason for the request?
 
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azpc

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 24, 2011
295
229
Regarding Window splitting

"More clarification: the current window snapping doesn't allow an easy transition between whatever size the window is to a part of the display as this behavior is part of fullscreen mode. Splitview is only usable for fullscreen apps, not for windowed apps." - DYN

This is why Apple needs to refine and improve their implementation of window splitting.

Please don't misunderstand, I'm glad to have the option, however, it would be nice if Apple would continue to improve window splitting before El Capitan is released.

Its kind of sad to see Microsoft beating Apple at its own game in this regard.
 

azpc

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 24, 2011
295
229
I added a section on Reworking the Contacts App.

Features Contacts should have:

  • Ability to resize the main picture. Currently, it is so small it is almost useless.
  • Insert more than one picture into the contact. Example: Picture of family or the front of the house.
  • Larger font size options. Currently the fonts are so small many users have to switch glasses when they use Contacts.
  • Attach a map to the contact. I should be able to show a map of the location inside Contacts.
  • Custom Fields - Not having this is very frustrating. (A common custom field is Christmas List). This field is used to determine who gets a Christmas card.
  • Alphabetic selection option like iOS - The letter headings on the right side of the contacts. Click on the G group for last names that begin with G. Saves a lot of scrolling time.
05-contact-me-100054424-large.png
 
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dyn

macrumors 68030
Aug 8, 2009
2,708
388
.nl
The letter headings on the right side of the contacts. Click on the G group for last names that begin with G. Saves a lot of scrolling time.
Or you can simply type it in the search box that is on top. I can see that clicking a letter to show every lastname starting with that letter can be quicker at times.

Dyn,

Maybe I can clarify why remembering window position and size is important.
That would be a waste of time since I already know this and wasn't asking for clarification. I was pointing at the fact that what you are requesting has been part of OS X for ages and that not remembering the window position, size, etc. is a bug in either OS X or (more likely) the application itself. Where Console disregards window size and position, Safari, Mail and many others will remember it.

For some crazy reason, many apps insist that they open every time on top of each other. Finder and Preview are two of the worst. Microsoft apps also do this periodically.
That has got nothing to do with it. What you are describing here is focus stealing which is a problem with ALL apps. Unfortunately it is also something that is extremely difficult to solve. It would require that the computer is able to predict our behaviour which is impossible to do. Guesstimating is as close as we humans can get, our AI isn't at that level yet (which also leads to a discussion if we should get that far because there are some dangers that come with this; there are scientists that warn about that situation).

The problem in this lies in the fact that we start apps and when waiting for it to load we switch to something else. We could always start apps in the background but this causes issues for when we want to start the app and then use it and thus not switch to something else. Predicting if we do A or B is what is very very complex.

However, the windows will open in the same spot and with the same size as last time.

Apple needs to take control and give the user the ability to set the app window size and location on the desktop.
They do, it's in the HIG. If apps don't do this then you should report this as a bug to whomever made it (e.g. Microsoft in case of Word and not Apple!). Apple even went further with this feature as of OS X Lion and added the option to save whatever is open on your desktop and load it back up when you log out, reboot or shutdown the machine (either by hand or by installing an update). They've also added this on an application level where you can store the opened windows and load them backup when restarting the app. You need to press cmd-option-q to quit the app without saving the windows This behaviour can be disabled in SysPrefs > General > Close windows when quitting an app (cmd-option-q then becomes the shortcut to save the windows when quitting the app; the functionality is reversed).

The only case where this can be a problem is with setups that use more than 1 display. In most cases this is caused by the fact that people hook up different displays (workplace 1 uses a 20" display, workplace 2 uses a 24" display). Again, this would also require predicting which display you're going to hook up or remembering the windows sizes/positions per display. The latter will cause similar issues as how things are now since you may want to have the window sizing/position of the previous monitor (which could be the bigger/smaller or similar sized display).

The other problem is with the use of Spaces or Desktops as it is called as of OS X Lion. For that we need to have the settings we had with Spaces so we can predefine the Desktops and which app opens on which desktop. Size and position will be remembered since this is part of OS X.

TL;DR: you are now requesting a feature that is already part of OS X just because some apps don't work properly with it. Instead of requesting it as a feature of OS X you should file it as a bug with the app maker.
 

azpc

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 24, 2011
295
229
"If apps don't remember window size and position then you should report this as a bug to whomever made it." Dyn

I wish it were that easy. From what I can tell this "feature" only exists on forums.

I have been reporting random window locations and sizes for nine years without even a response. Let alone a fix!

Most developers are in a rush to get the app out the door and make money. They don't pay much attention to issues such as window size and location.

If Apple continues to leave this function to developers, more and more users will start looking at Windows 10. That will not be good for Apple.

Apple could resolve this mess with a simple Check Box - Remember Window Size and Location in Get Info.
 
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dyn

macrumors 68030
Aug 8, 2009
2,708
388
.nl
Apple cannot fix this issue as it is not their code and thus they do not have any access to it. Adding things like a checkbox won't do anything in solving the issue. It is a bug that the app developer needs to fix. Apple is no party in this at all. If the app developer doesn't want to fix it then vote with your wallet and take your business elsewhere (or in other words: use the software from the competitor).
Windows has the exact same issue. Why? Because it is not their code and the apps developers are the only ones who can fix it. The manufacturer of the operating system has no say in this whatsoever. No matter how much they want to solve the issue, they simply can't.

What you are doing here is demanding that your doctor fixes your car just because he has the same car as you do. It is the most idiotic request you can possibly think of. You are complaining to the wrong party.

Btw, you don't simply switch to a completely different OS just over 1 feature. Mostly there are numerous things that will cause the switch. Windows 10 has some nasty features (if you want any kind of privacy you need to disable a lot of stuff via the settings, commandline, registry and services.msc), it lacks great GTD apps and anything of the UNIX world. Just to name a few things...
 
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Ritsuka

Cancelled
Sep 3, 2006
1,464
969
So, if you have a document based app, you want a new document window to open exactly on an already open one?
For a lot of windows it makes sense to save the size and location, for other not so much. By the way, in every app I used the windows size is saved properly, when it makes sense to save it.
 

dyn

macrumors 68030
Aug 8, 2009
2,708
388
.nl
Problem with that is that you quickly lose track of things that are opened due to having windows obscure other windows so you can't tell if only 1 window is open or multiple windows are opened. Better would be to open the new window a bit offset so you can at least tell that something is behind it or reuse the already opened window either by replacing the content or by using tabs (which is what the average webbrowser does). When apps maximise to fill the entire display and you open a new window you'd get the behaviour of one window obscuring the other.

Both Windows and OS X will operate this way but there is only 1 difference: apps that run in fullscreen mode. OS X places those apps in their own desktop whereas Windows doesn't do this. It will put them on the same desktop as the rest. As of Windows 10 you can create a new desktop and fullscreen the app there in order to mimic the fullscreen mode of OS X.
 
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