Alt-Tab and Spaces

Comments

• Reply 1 of 6

  matts Posts: 37member

  March 12, 2008 1:45PM

  Hi,
  
  
  
  I presume you're referring to Spaces, which really doesn't offer you virtual desktops, only spaces. Sorry.
  
  
  
  As there are no virtual desktops, the Desktop (with all it's files and folders and the current desktop image) actually is the same in all spaces.
  
  And that's also why you see all running applications when you press Command-Tab (not Alt-Tab).
  
  
  
  But, I understand what you're saying.
  
  
  
  -matts
• Reply 2 of 6

  erunno Posts: 225member

  March 12, 2008 2:33PM

  Bummer, but thanks for the answer.
  
  
  
  I was lead to believe by the Leopard commercials that Spaces would be a true virtual desktop implementation but it seems my impression was wrong. Hopefully Apple will consider adding this functionality with one of the future updates for 10.5 because right now Spaces is more or less useless for me.
• Reply 3 of 6

  gon Posts: 2,437member

  March 12, 2008 3:18PM

  I gave up trying too. Like you said, it's pretty much impossible to use Spaces to group tasks and projects into their own spaces because it fights you every step of the way if you try to have several different apps anywhere but the first space. So, maybe it is an alternate app switcher of sorts, but just using Expose and cmd-tab is faster and more efficient. I have no idea who Spaces in its current form is intended for. I suspect they realized halfway in that they can't make it play nice with other current UI assumptions without making it retarded, and then for some incomprehensible reason chose to include it in Leopard anyway.
  
  
  
  There is this hint to disable the switching:
  
  http://www.macosxhints.com/article.p...08021122525348
  
  
  
  but it makes things even worse. New windows will still spawn to some Space but now you won't even be taken there. Also, this option is bugged and windows will start to occasionally disappear on app switch until you exit and re-enter the current space.
• Reply 4 of 6

  pixelation03 Posts: 6member

  March 18, 2008 7:26PM

  My only issue with Spaces is when I'm running Photoshop CS 2 or Dreamweaver 8 - If I tab to it using Cmd+Tab, the floating palettes will shift to my active Space, i.e.: I'm in Space 1, and Photoshop (with out any projects open) is in Space 4. If I Cmd+Tab to Photoshop, it'll move the palettes into Space 1
  
  
  
  That's the biggest problem I've had with Spaces.
• Reply 5 of 6

  digital disasta Posts: 495member

  March 20, 2008 11:54AM

  Quote:
  

  Originally Posted by pixelation03
  
  
  My only issue with Spaces is when I'm running Photoshop CS 2 or Dreamweaver 8 - If I tab to it using Cmd+Tab, the floating palettes will shift to my active Space, i.e.: I'm in Space 1, and Photoshop (with out any projects open) is in Space 4. If I Cmd+Tab to Photoshop, it'll move the palettes into Space 1
  
  
  
  That's the biggest problem I've had with Spaces.
  

  
  

  
  
  Well you might want to upgrade to CS3, I dont have that problem when using spaces with my CS3 applications. I do admit at this point spaces are kind of pointless, but the problem you are having is probably because CS2 is running under Rosetta, or something?
• Reply 6 of 6

  ireland Posts: 17,798member

  March 20, 2008 3:54PM

  Quote:
  

  Originally Posted by Erunno
  
  
  Hi all,
  
  
  
  right now Alt-Tab shows all applications on all virtual desktops which not only clutter the Alt-Tab list but also provokes unwanted switches between said virtual desktops and basically breaks with the premise to have different desktops for different tasks. Is it possible (maybe via command line) to alter the Alt-Tab behaviour so that it shows only the applications on the active virtual desktop? That is one of the things I miss mostly from the GNOME/KDE implementations.
  

  
  

  
  
  This is when you use Exposé, done.