Windows 7 "Snap" features available on Mac?

Really? I thought it was one of the most useless features I've ever seen. It's almost like they didn't want to do something like spaces to avoid being seen as directly copying features in OS X.

I suppose it allows the whole non-overlapping windows setup but few people have higher than 1680 x 1050 resolution. A half-sized box gives you something like an 800 oixel wide box, which is almost unusable for anything.

What practical use for this did you have in mind?

There are some useful cases for this. I'd actually like something like that that is designed around the OS X mindset rather than the Windows mindset.

Spaces actually deals with a different problem domain (applications on different desktops vs. applications on the same desktop).

Actually this is one of the more interesting interface additions of Windows 7. It's simple yet useful, especially having to windows take up 50 percent of the screen window, a feature I'd probably use daily. I'm ambivalent about the maximize functionality since Windows had this since the coming of Christ ([beating dead horse]something I'm still waiting on OSX *sigh*[/beating dead horse]). Still, it offers an additional way to achieve the same goal in a possibly easier way. Dragging a window to the upper screen border is likely easier than trying to hit the maximize button. *shrug*

It's funny - for years now Windows users have been complaining that on the Mac you can't full-screen a window so it covers all other apps.

Now Microsoft seems to be saying is that users should actually be working with more than one window at once instead.

The ironic thing is that every Windows buff I talk to is ecstatic about this new feature too. One guy in particular HATES not having a window fullscreen, then comes to me absolutely gloating with this new feature in his Windows 7 beta build. Saying "I bet OS X can't do "this!" ...

I'm sitting there going "Why would I "want" my window to auto snap to a different size when I drag it to the edge? I have like 4 or 5 working windows open already. I don't want the OS auto-covering them..."

Yet another half-baked idea in my opinion.

Yeah, I don't really see why it would be useful for windows to do this to be honest.

Just as 99% of the time I don't want one window covering the entire screen, neither do I want just one window covering 50% of the screen.

If I want to do side-by-side comparisons I'd rather both documents open in a single window, using say, a window splitter. Most text editing apps allow you to do this.

I'm feeling kinda heretical, and submit that Microsoft and Apple are fast approaching a local maximum in UI. They offer us more and more tools of increasing complexity to manage windows, but instead they might want to re-examine the assumption that it's a good use of the user's time to make him arrange windows in the first place.

As long as we're messing with windows, though, the feature sounds good. I often use side by side windows on my 24" desktop.

I would welcome a similar feature in OS X. I spend what seems like a lot of time resizing two or more windows that I'm working on so that they're big enough for me to be able to work efficiently with them yet small enough and shaped such that they're not covering one another up. Maybe a better way to activate it than dragging any window to the edge of the screen though... as one poster pointed out you may not want a window to auto-resize on you when you drag it out of the way for something.

Ok but doing what? A few of you are saying it's something you'd use a lot but I haven't heard an example besides comparing two documents.

Here are a few videos of the new features:

http://lifehacker.com/5077728/snap-a...e-in-windows-7

Click the links to see the others. The peek idea is ok but like a limited Expose. The hiding windows by shaking is like command-alt-h.

It seems that to do the snap you just drag to the side of the desktop. The concern is what to do when you want to control when this stuff is invoked. I wouldn't want these controls happening all the time. It would be like the Vista security popup.


I don't like the maximize in Windows. I almost always take it off maximize as it's hard to switch to a window behind it quickly.

Some apps shouldn't maximize the way Windows does anyway. If you are reading text, maximize should only expand vertically.

I do think OS X's maximize is broken or just not used properly by developers. In Textedit, it does maximize both directions. The Finder maximize sets the window to the visible items (often shrinking the window). Safari is completely random. Preview in Tiger keeps zooming out of a PDF if you keep clicking it. It's totally inconsistent.

I don't think it should be 1 action. I think for Preview, Textedit, Safari (download list included) all document apps basically, it should expand vertically only. Then again, preview is for images and all image-based apps should expand left and right fully.

Perhaps if there were two actions separated by ctrl-click/alt-click/right-click on the maximize button. By default, it expands vertically only but right-click etc to expand to the full window. I don't even think these would need to be overridden by a developer.

Let's hope it's something they get round to in 10.6.

Exactly! Honestly, I would never use a full screen again, not even on windows. I like seeing my desktop, and having more then one windows open. Plus, full screen wouldn't work very well with OS X's design.


Never thought of it that way, but yea, your right. All MS is doing is getting back to what OS X has. The Flip 3D idea wasn't too successful, so lets try this. Honestly, this Snap feature doesn't sound TOO useful because I always use Expose; and never in the need for comparing two windows, unless it's within Pages but that's not hard to do, and no need to add to Windows/OS X for something thats just not needed.

But let our Windows brothers be happy about something they'll have to discover reasons to use. Hehe.

He didn't ask for a debate whether it is a good feature or not.. he asked if there is a plugin to bring it to the mac. Like it or not its down to personal preference. Now do any of you idiots know if there is such a plugin. I personally like the idea. Plus most websites are not wider than 800 pixels.. so 2 side by side i would personally fine very useful.

I've been using a Mac utility for that with the keyboard. WOrks very nicely.

http://www.irradiatedsoftware.com/sizeup/

this software adds some functionality like snap on windows. It's not as intuitive as windows 7 (yea I said it **sprays troll repellant**) but only extra click is required to get your snap where you want it. the developer is offering a you name it price right now which is awesome, hook him up after you try to demo out if you like it. :-) i registered just to post this but i'll be looking around here more often.

peace peeps

Edit: This program is actually just as good as if not better then windows snap cause there are more features in it. I just got it out and started using it. there are keyboard commands and those work in one step just press command option and alt plus the direction you want your window to go. cool.

ps i would like to see a snap feature still lol

That figures.

I've only just moved from Windows to Mac, and it took so long because I find pedants annoying. It seems I'm stuck with them until I buy a new machine. Which at this rate won't be a Mac. FYI, I use split applications windows all the time, it's a really useful way to compare and exchange information. WTF does it matter if you don't use it? That doesn't give you the right to denigrate someone who does just cos you think it unworthy of your awesome Maccitude. Dickhead.

Aforementioned "Irradiated Software" also makes Cinch, which I use every day. That should be exactly what you want.

It's a nice feature, but the one I really want it when the OS detects I'm using a laptop sized screen the green button should do fullscreen. It simply should. No amount of fanboy persuasion could make me feel otherwise.

Better Touch Tool- http://blog.boastr.net/?page_id=1722 it has sum other cool features tool, but make sure you read all the pop up boxes after u install this app coz the windows like snapping tool is one of the first

What the hell are you talking about?

Just use the program "Cinch", it does all that. Easy.

Not to revive this post from the grave, but are there any programs that can emulate the snap features for desktop? The BetterTouch app seems geared toward Macbooks with multitouch trackpads. I'm looking for something that will work with the desktop.

To answer some of your questions about this feature: The drag to top for full screen isn't always useful and can sometime even be annoying (especially when you're repositioning windows). However, the drag to the left and right are extremely useful with wide screen monitors > 19". I am a hybrid Windows and mac mini user for development and the snap left-right is great for comparing code, diffs, documents, images, shells, and working with two programs to exchange data. Not that the expose features aren't nice, but the snap feature is simply more efficient.

Can this be done with AppleScript?

Thanks

yeshuawatso, this program isn't free, but I've been using it since the launch of Snow Leopard, and there's a free trial period:
http://www.irradiatedsoftware.com/sizeup/

It doesn't respond to dragging, but to key-combinations. So if I want the current window to snap to the left, I hit control+option+cmd+left arrow, but this can be customized.

Using a different set of key combinations, I can also send a window to a second monitor, my TV in this case, if my MacBook Pro is connected to it - really handy.

Snap zone sizes can be absolutely customized.

Good luck!

Hi All, there are actually a bunch of options now.

Right now I'm trying a fee program which was developed as shareware and originally distributed via google apps
http://code.google.com/p/shiftit/

The app store has: DoublePane ($2.99)

And I think the rest have been mentioned previously

And yet somehow I feel that if Apple had this exact feature in Mac OS X first, all the fanboys would be talking endlessly about what a great "magical, revolutionary" feature it is. (I'm not saying you think this.)

I myself find Aero Snap useful for certain things, and I did, for a time, use the Cinch plug-in on Mac OS X.

Microsoft isn't saying anything, all they did was create a GUI around the "place windows side by side" option that has been on the task bar since Windows 95.

And just because I can maximize a window in Windows doesn't mean I actually did. It was useful back in the days of 1024×768, but nowadays, monitors are simply too wide. Maximizing a window simply makes most web pages so wide they are almost unreadable.

But there are still times when you want to make an app fullscreen (didn't Steve Jobs himself not say this very phrase at the October '10 event?), and it not being on Mac OS X was a legitimate concern for some users.

It happens on occasions but Spaces is not regarded as entirely revolutionary, nor grid-spacing, nor multi-driectional window resizing, even full-screen mode, which individual apps have had for a while. Dashboard is a bit passé too. Exposé is more impressive and still hasn't been copied correctly elsewhere. I don't think window-snapping would be part of a daily routine the way Exposé is so it wouldn't be highly regarded.

One- if a person asks you for recommendations on a specific type of software, what earthly reason could you have for arguing with him for five posts why he should think that specific type of software is stupid, instead of simply giving recommendations (and then perhaps stating your opinion)?

Two- just search the app store for "resize" or "window"- there's quite a few of them. My personal favorite is DoublePane ($.99). The developer is very responsive and told me the next update will include 'snapping' (as in drag to a corner or edge).

Hope that helps,
Liam

(as a side note, I personally love the idea and wish  had included it in the first place- maybe Lion? It's a great quick way to see two windows simultaneously (and I have a 13" MBP, no display) or maximize.)

I don't know if you mean me but I only made 3 posts, two of which respond to other people - that's kind of how discussion forums work.

I'm sure people will find some use for such a thing but I don't think enough to be a system-level feature that's all.


The app that seemed to me the quickest to do something useful is one called Divvy:

http://www.mizage.com/divvy/

but Leopard's huge drop shadows still make it not so good for using different apps side by side.

hi,

there is another software, doing the same than Windows 7, with the same visual effect,
just try it !
it's "arrange", available here : http://www.trifleapps.com/Applications/Arrange.html

This is why forums are annoying. It starts with a legitimate question. But for years anyone who follows it will only find useless commentary and will waste work time trying to find the efficient solution that should've been the only answer

 

Not to mention getting high-ranking search results for threads that were bumped back to the top but are years and years old and therefore completely outdated.

I have found the best utility for the MAC to emulate the Windows split window option is an application called Cinch.  You can download it from the Apple Store. It runs in the top toolbar as a dotted line box looking icon.  When you slam the window to the left, it does a half left screen.  Same thing to the right.  If you do it to the top it maximizes the application window.  If you want to license it, the Cinch utility is $7.00.  Well worth it.

Try turning on App Expose in the System Preferences. I think in older versions of OS X it did this with F8, on my Macbook it was turned off but the default gesture was swipe down with three fingers. I meant a sofware what gives only space what the Window need. Read the image. I don't want full maximize. I want to give just enough space to windows.
 

Anyone who says the "snap" feature is useless is probably just a Mac snob. I have a MacBook Pro but as a student I use Windows 7 all the time on campus computers. The snap feature is the best thing to happen to studying since powerpoint. Apple needs to pick up their game and stop coming out with useless updates that make no real change (iPhone 4 and 5 are almost the exact same phone). I want the snap feature on my Mac!!!

 

Great way to endear yourself and your opinion to anyone¡ 

 

SHUT UP AND GO AWAY.