Front and Center Brings Back Classic Mac Window Management

Article Comments
1

Originally published at: https://tidbits.com/2020/01/10/front-and-center-brings-back-classic-mac-window-management/

Miss the way that window management worked before Mac OS X? The new Front and Center app brings that behavior back.

2

Thank you for making me aware of this! Did an immediate trip to the App Store and a “BUY” click.

3

Chuck’s not alone — I went straight to the App Store too!

Thanks Josh!

4

What is the difference (for the example in the article) from Mission Control Application Windows? F2 in my world

Maybe there are other examples that weren’t mentioned

Jerry

5

What’s hilarious is I just heard John Siracusa talk about this on the ATP podcast.

I prefer the Exposé Trackpad gesture “App Exposé” over an App to change the behavior.

But then again, I came to Macs with Mac OS X and probably would have never used classic Mac OS.

6

The difference is that you don’t have to press a button and show every window, you just click one application window and they all come forward.

If you didn’t use classic Mac OS much, or at all, you likely won’t have any interest in this app, because you’re used to clicking the Dock icon or using Exposé.

7

Hi Josh,

I’m still running Mojave, and what I miss is the ability to click an icon in a window and haved that open in a new window. The “new” default behavior is to have the icon contents commandeer the window that was previously selected.

The way I use my “icon view” windows, the “new” behavior is MOST unwelcome. Yeah, I can hit “control” when “opening” and then get that choice, but two procedires to accomplish what one did before I have a hard time considering “progress”.

Best!~

WRB

–

8

I’m running High Sierra and I am still able to use DragThing, so I have some of the functionality of “Front and Center.” However, I would like new windows to open in the center of the desktop instead of on the left side. Does this new app offer that capability?

9

Every. Damn. Day.

Instant buy.

10

Honestly I can’t imagine why anyone would miss this; I was ecstatic when it changed to current behavior – especially on a laptop with limited real estate, being able to arrange windows so I can view one app while working in another is priceless. (I remember scratching my head when a TidBits article came out grieving the change at the time). I guess everyone gets used to their workflow (when I want all of an app’s windows I command-tab my way there and I’d be pretty upset if that went away). Glad there are options for those who prefer it the old way.

11

I’m with Josh, I really don’t miss the behavior that much. If I want all the windows, I just command-tab to the app. But I am often working in multiple apps so being able to have two different app windows open at a time is priceless.

Diane

12

I’m guessing that you’re talking about double-clicking a folder in a Finder window. If that’s the case, try holding down Command when you double-click it to open it in a new window.