Making the transition to X....

[kbeartx]

OK, I have tasted the appetizers and now I'd like the meal....

Since installing Jag, I have been able to 'live' in X more and more, but there are still a bunch of things I can accomplish easier, faster, better, or only when I'm booted into 9.2.2 (to be fair, I have a similar list of Things That Work Better In X, but it's a much shorter list).

I don't see that I have many options, except to run-down these items one-by-one and find or figure out solutions / work-arounds for them.

Very near the top o' the list is the single-click application switching provided by GoMac, which I have been using for many years.   For those who have not had the pleasure of this feature, it's a wonderful convenience - one click on the tiniest bit of visible desktop immediately returns me to the Finder with all other apps hidden, no matter how many are open.  Also, if I switch between open apps, all other apps are automatically hidden from view.  GoMac calls this feature Hide After Switch.

Does anybunny know how I might get this functionality in Jag-you-are?

TIA,

 - kbeartx

[bobw]

Take a look at Path Finder

While you're at Version Tracker, look and see all the add-ons that are available for OS X.

[ljocampo]

Command + H key sequence will hide the active app  Command + Option + H will hide the others.

Simply single clicking any running program's icon (those with little black triangles below them) in the dock will bring that program to the front including the finder's icon.  It does the same thing as the old app switcher did.  All the functionality that you had ins in Jag you just need to learn the system.  A good book for this is Killer Tips for Jaguar.

[kbeartx]

jlocampo wrote:

QUOTE

It does the same thing as the old app switcher did.

Ahh, but GoMac, IMO, improved significantly on the Classic Finder's application switching functionality, and I sorely miss this in X.

BTW, I d/l'd and installed PathFinder, but I do not see (in the Preferences or Menus) any analog to GoMac's single-click switching - is it there?  What's it called?  How do I enable it?

 - kbeartx

[krissel]

As an avid GoMac user still mostly in 9, I can empathize with missing the one click to get to the finder.

I installed this free app that lets you put an icon in the dock or menu bar and one click on it will bring you to the desktop. Simple but handy. Not quite as nice as clicking on the visible desktop but OK.

Show Desktop

And yes, command+option+click Finder dock icon will get you to the desktop but it's not as convenient.

[ljocampo]

then why don't you guys single click the finder icon in the dock??     It take you directly  to the finder in one click btw so does clicking on any portion of the desktop.

[krissel]

The difference is that GoMac and ShowDesktop put you in the Finder but also remove all the extraneous application windows that might be in the way. It hides everything but the desktop and finder windows that may already be open.

When I'm using X, I find myself clicking on the desktop all the time to get rid of the open application windows and remembering that I don't have GoMac. Then I look for the ShowDesktop icon.

 

[ljocampo]

Maybe if you guys put as much time into learning the interface as you put into trying to work around it, you'll see that you don't need extra programs to do what Jaguar is fully capable of doing.

I suggest the book  Mac OS X v. 10.2 Jaguar Killer Tips  by Scott Kelby.  You'll see that there IS an easy way to do everything you mentioned.  

[krissel]

I realize some people don't appreciate the fact that certain individuals are keyboard oriented and certain others are mouse, tablet, click people.

I'm one of the latter.

If I can avoid having to use the keyboard to perform any activity, I will.
Especially if it means fewer movements.

 

[kbeartx]

QUOTE

You'll see that there IS an easy way to do everything you mentioned.

OK, would you be willing disclose to me how I can, with a single click, 'get to' my desktop with all other running applications hidden from view?

Or do you 'spect me to buy the book in order to find out?

 - kbeartx

[ljocampo]

Buy the book.  It's only $19.95 (US) and you'll get the benefit of finding out many many ways to rule your Mac.  Honestly the best way to learn these things is to read this book.  But, this book isn't like other computer books.  It is a book of just tips on how to do things you thought you couldn't in Jaguar, and it's laid out in just short individual clips, you won't have to read paragraph after paragraph.  

[Xairbusdriver]

ljocampo,

Glad you've found a source for the question kbeartx asked, even if you won't actually tell him what it is!

But the whole point of this forum is to share tips and answers with each other. Certainly not a whole books worth, but specific answers to specific questions. Plus, many of us (OK, 3 people!) still aren't using X for various reasons. One of which is the loss of certain capabilities when leaving 9. I, for one, have no intention of adding to the four books I have already bought on X, until I actually install it. So, knowing there is actually a 'fix' (whether in the OS or by a third-party) for certain things would greatly add to my incentive to buy X.

If you feel it is unethical to devulge this item in a public forum, that's our problem.

Jim C.

[Gary S]

ljocampo,

If you know, why don't you just spell it out? I know the book your talking about but i didn't buy it because most of the stuff was irrelevant to me.

Do you have the book?