Unsanity stopped making WS for OSX two versions ago. Yes, there are two other apps, Deskovery and WindowMizer, both unsatisfactory for differing reasons. (one creates an addition window, not-quite-hidden and the other is painfully slow)
PLEASE, oh, PLEASE get rid of Genie and bring WS back as an option.
It would be an act of mercy at this point. 🙂
MacBook Pro, Other OS
Apple folks may browse these forums, but will not address requests such as this in any official capacity. You can send feedback (suggestions) here:
I used to enjoy the windowshade feature of Mac OS 9, but that was ages ago. What I have relied on heavily since then is TotalFinder which introduced tabbed finder windows on Mac OS X. I know its not the same thing, but I have found it much more handy overall in allowing me to keep documents organized across multiple locations. In fact, TotalFinder has a "Visor" feature, which functions like WindowShade, except that the window extends from below instead of from the top. I must admit though, that I rarely use this feature, because the tabbed windows are much more useful.
I'm happy to see that Apple has finally acknowledged the utility of tabbed Finder windows in Mavericks. Once you get used to it, you too might forget all about Window Shade.
I very much enjoy tabbed browsing, I specifically like WS because I frequently have PhotoShop, InDesign, Illustrator a Finder window, Mail, Safari and Suitcase windows open all at once. Even with a 30" Cinema Display, it gets too crowded.
Tabbed Finder windows are going to be great—but, it sure is not going to help that much. :)
TerreSpencer wrote:
I very much enjoy tabbed browsing, I specifically like WS because I frequently have PhotoShop, InDesign, Illustrator a Finder window, Mail, Safari and Suitcase windows open all at once. Even with a 30" Cinema Display, it gets too crowded.
Have you tried Mission Control? That is what it is for.
Yes, sure have tried—and dislike MC. I have been an Apple user since the early 1990s. For day in, day out Mac work (and I spend over 11 hours/day working on my Macs), WindowShade is the superior utility. And I would like to see it back on the OS. Snow Leopard was the last supported version that Unsanity's WS was updated. That was two versions ago and I am still missing it. (I actually held off updating to Snow leopard waiting for Unsanity to issue a new version of WS) Clearly, I have a preference for WS. 🙂
I did issue a request to: http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html, thank you for that address.
Have you tried Mission Control? That is what it is for.
Etre,
Mission Control is great, if your workflow requires only documents or windows from one application at a time. Then the application centric approach is useful and it helps to get the outline view with all documents sorted by application, or have separate Desktops for each app.
But "application centric" is not very helpful for workflows, that require documements of different type to perform a task. Then a grouping by tasks would be preferable to a grouping by app.
Windowshade helped to set up a grouping of related windows by task, or any other organizational scheme you wanted.
Léonie
I’d ALSO love to see WindowShading! I am not a computer-trained person, but I have been using Macs since 1990 and I have certain approaches to efficiency that I have accumulated over the years, particularly using keyboard shortcuts (from the OS and third-party, like QuicKeys and Keyboard Maestro). I also used Unsanity's WindowShade X until they just couldn't keep up with the annual Apple OS upgrades 2 or 3 years back. But windowshading was so convenient in OS 9: If you wanted to see directly underneath a window only momentarily, all you had to do was double-click the title bar of the window and it would “windowshade up;” then, leave your cursor in place as you looked briefly at whatever contents that were directly underneath the top window; and then double-click the same title bar again to resume your work. The cursor never had to move! Since OS X, you have to grab the title bar and move it out of the way to see the contents below your top file/folder. It’s NOT the same as “four-finger” swipe up on the trackpad (Mission Control) to see all of your windows and then select a file or folder, because everything is too small and you can’t read anything at that point! And I know I could use MC and click on the 2nd window, read it, go back to MC, select initial window, but that's four gestures as opposed to the steps I listed above for windowshading. To clarify to those who are post-OS 9 users and who never used WindowShade X from Unsanity, you would windowshade several files/folders and leave them in that windowshaded position on screen until you were ready to open them up. I know MC can do something equivalent to this, but it certainly can't do what I initially described above. Meanwhile, I will check into TotalFinder that someone mentioned above.
After further Internet searching today, I discovered WindowMizer, which provides windowshading...
There is a setting in Dock preferences where you can double-click the Window‘s titlebar and it will collapse back into its Dock icon. About as close to WindowShade as we are going to get.
Yeah, I know about the dock setting as I have used Macs since the 1980s. I want windowshading. There are several options: Desovery, WindowMizer. But none are as good as Unsanity's WindowShade for varying reaso
Deskovery is the best of the lot and yet it still has the drawback that if you key in Command + Q when a window is windowshaded, Deslovery quits instead of the program. That is very inconvenient. I use it but I don'y like it as much as the real WindowShade.
I loathe Mission Control. WindowShade works much better for as many apps as I have going during the work day.
I use TotalFinder (or did until Mavericks provide tabbed windows). WindowSahde is great when PhotoShop, Illustrator, InDesign and several other apps are all running at the same time.
I put WindowShade in Maverick on my Christmas List too. It'd be great. I've tried WindowMizer and it isn't like the old Unsanity version, in fact, I can't recommend it at all. Totalfinder doesn't cut the mustard either. Please Santa, bring me ...
Apple,
Windowshade - like OS9, is a superior method of leaving tools where you left them instead of the up-tight MS windows philosophy of a silloetted peg board - return the tools to where you "keep" them, rather than where you "have" them for current use. Apple, you got it right in OS 9. I have never liked the dock - who wants to move the finger or mouse pointer to the extremities of the working space! Concequently, I have alwasy been forced to add third party apps to provide windowshade to OS X.
Please bring back the windowshade option to OS X!
It is sad, that I can set up my windows machine to window shade with far more ease than my mac. For a true "desktop" space, the visual layering works for working creative professionals like myself. Don't forget your core, Apple.
Paul Henninge
VT Industrial Designer wrote:
Apple,
This is NOT a channel to give Apple feedback. You are speaking to fellow Mac users that attempt to help with technical problems.
Please submit you suggestions to:
Dear #Apple: please put WindowShade in #Mavericks. Thank you.
