Filed under: OS, Software, Cool tools
Witch - bring Windows app switching to Mac OS X
For the sake of this post, I'm not necessarily saying one is better than the other, and the subject of why this difference exists is a usability discussion best left for another day. I simply wanted to lay some context for Witch, a Windows-like application switcher from Peter Maurer (of Butler and the original Textpander/TextExpander fame) that fuses window-centric switching with some of the nice perks of Mac OS X. Not only can you switch between windows, just like on, uh, Windows, but you can also do things like bringing all minimized windows to the front or even close those minimized windows without having to bring them to the front.
Witch, like many of Peter's apps, is donationware. However, if you get attached to it and don't want it to go the way of TextExpander (or if you simply want to give a developer his much-due credit), I highly recommend you donate for Peter's fine work.
[via Lifehacker]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Bobby said 9:59PM on 1-29-2007
I'm a big fan of both the Apple App. switcher and Witch's window switching...It's great if you end up minimizing windows all the time, but don't use your mouse/trackpad much. Butler and Witch are my first two installs whenever I switch computers.
To Peter: big ups.
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Patrick Hamann said 10:10PM on 1-29-2007
Hey,
I may be being stupid, but aren't "expose" and "cmd+Tab" designed within the OS for this exact reason. To switch between app's (cmd+tab) and to switch between windows (expose)!
Please correct me if i'm wrong or missing something in your article, but i don't seem the point in reviewing a new app, that does actions that our OS already does built in!
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Ayjay said 10:16PM on 1-29-2007
Command-tab allows you to switch between *applications*, but Witch lists each *window*. That way you don't have to switch to the app and then find the appropriate window -- you can go straight to the window you need from Witch. If you tend to have only one window open per app, it won't add much, but if you have a lot of windows open it's a lifesaver.
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Ayjay said 10:20PM on 1-29-2007
Whoops --sent too soon. You can get to all the "active* windows through Exposé, but Witch can show hidden windows and minimized windows as well. Plus, I find it easier to navigate Witch's text-list UI than to rotate through the mini-windows of Exposé.
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Tim said 10:34PM on 1-29-2007
@Patrick: I suppose while expose is good for window switching when opened windows are relatively visually distinct, it does not work as well when all your windows looks similar (e.g. text editing, coding), thus in those situations switching by window title might be faster.
Although expose does show title, it only shows when you hover over it, the same problem with alt-tab switch in Windows (no, Vista didn't fix that).
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R031E5 said 10:53PM on 1-29-2007
I've installed Witch on my mac but i'm kinda dissapointed, mac's command+tab utility is way more quick than the app, it's a good idea though.
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Ryan said 11:39PM on 1-29-2007
We've found a witch, may we burn her?
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Dennis said 12:31AM on 1-30-2007
I've been using this for quite some time, and I love it!
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Bob said 9:16AM on 1-30-2007
I'll stick with expose with the mouse trigger set to the lower-right hand corner. It is a godsend when working with Photoshop or Dreamweaver.
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matt said 9:42AM on 1-30-2007
and what makes you think she is a witch? :-)
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Pablo said 10:21AM on 1-30-2007
Does anyone know how to map Witch to command+tab? I couldn't find anything in system preferences for changing command tab default and Witch doesn't appear to let me map to an already used key combination.
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W??37 said 12:31PM on 1-30-2007
Command + F4 cycles through windows, although it does not cycle through hidden windows.
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NFK said 12:40PM on 1-30-2007
Exposé is only a solution, if you decide to work with a cluttered monitor, without ever minimizing or hiding windows.
Witch is great (it has what XMenu was missing, together they are perfect).
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DigitalFury said 12:43PM on 1-30-2007
Nice idea but seems to be a bit buggy at this time. Sometimes it works and most of the time it doesn't and/or flashes windows.
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shawnpetriw said 3:07PM on 1-30-2007
Hey, what about the good ol' cmd + ` to switch between windows? cmd + tab for applicatins, cmd + ` for windows within an application. Exposé if you need more.
Couldn't be simpler as it is.
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Harbinger said 5:06PM on 1-30-2007
It's always good to have options. Personally I'm a visual person so..
F-10, then I hit tab.
However exposé fails short because it only shows OPEN windows, not those minimized in the dock. Like I said, it's good to have options.
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Ian said 7:18PM on 1-30-2007
I have had Witch for almost two years, and it's very slow to activate (everything is on my MacBook).
@Ryan:
About the Salem witch trials: According to my Social Studies teacher, they did not burn the witches, instead they crushed them with rocks.
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Don Parr said 9:56PM on 1-30-2007
I enjoy having choices when it comes to getting things done on my computer. Some of you say, “doesn’t this already do that?” I see that as equivalent to saying “you already have a wallpaper, why would you need another?” Because, eventually you will (or should) tire of the one. I’m just sayin’... F-10 and tab may appeal to some, Command and tab for others, and Witch for the rest of us :).
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harshey said 12:18AM on 1-31-2007
Witch is the first application that I installed on my mac. Yes it will be slow sometimes if the processor is busy but otherwise it works great.
The main advantage of witch is the ability to open minimized windows and show hidden windows. It gives a master list of all windows period.
Don't get me wrong I am still an active expose user and between expose and witch I never ever use CMD+TAB or CMD+`
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Kris said 2:03PM on 1-31-2007
Personally, i really, really despise the windows way of switching between applications or windows.
Like when you havemultiple visual studio or SqlServer Studio (a.k.a. SqlQorkBench) instances open. it shows us an icon that is the same for all instances an a title that is.... the same for each instance because it gets truncated in a very stupid way. usually shows something like "Microsoft Visual Studio - C:\SandBox\..."
It's really nice to have a more text based switcher, but please do everbody a favor and stop comparing it to windows' switcher which does not respond to mouse at all, on the mac, if you find that you have lots of crap open and the icon you're going to lives all the way to the right of the switcher, you might want to grab the mouse to click it instead of earning a bit of carpal tunnel keeping command down and ramming tab to get there; With windows, no such luck
On windows, my main gripe with the switcher is not a problem with the swither itself actually, it's that all windows tend to have titles that are "Company name Product name - Docu..." where it just kills to have the document name truncated. Even though we already know by the representing icon what app whe're dealing with.
So even though windows lets us swith between Applications and windows within them in one session of alt+tabbing, it doesn't do so very well. I don't think the author of this little gem deserves to have his work compared to that abomination.
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