Now that I’m using SpiritedAway my desktop is always nice and clean. There is at most only one application taking up desktop real estate at a time, unless I need others. The rest of my open unused programs get automatically hidden to the dock. This has really helped me stay focused. But it’s also brought the need for improved application switching. One of the downfalls of Apple’s default Apple+Tab is that it only allows you to switch to an application. If you have multiple windows open within one application then Apple+Tab just chooses a window and hopefully its the one you wanted. Witch is an improved Apple+Tab interface that does let you choose which window you’d like to switch to!
As you can see in the screenshot Witch gives you much more information than the default Apple+Tab. On the left Witch displays the name of the open applications, on the right the title of the application window, and in the center the icon of the application. The interface allows you to quickly find what window in which application you’d like to open. Neat huh?
Witch is a simple preference pane (you can find it in the System Preferences) with lots of options to customize its functionality. The preference pane is divided into 3 pages of options. Triggers, Behavior, and Other or as I like to call them… Keystrokes, Functionality, and Look & Feel.
I really didn’t change many of the default Witch options other than some of the Appearance configs. Witch runs great as it’s installed, but with some options tweaking I’m sure that it would be even more awesome!
Don’t be shy about installing Witch. You can give Witch a different keystroke combination than the default Apple+Tab. This way you can use both and figure out ‘witch’ you like better :)
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this one does look useful to my multi-window life… I currently have 4 programs “running” but other than FF none of them have an open window. FF has 4 windows open…
This is good. But I wonder if you’re aware of the existing command key combination (i.e., “Command Tilde”) which allows switching between the various open windows of the application once you’ve brought the application forward with “Command Tab.”
Nomad,
If the only application that you use that has multiple windows open is Firefox then you might want to stick with the Command Tilde key combo that beau recommended. I usually have lots of TextMate windows open along with Firefox etc, so Witch works well for me. Another thing I like about Witch is being able to customize the interface colors.
beau,
Thanks for the tip. I knew that there was probably a key combination for that, but I couldn’t figure it out. I was trying combinations with Tab and didn’t even think to try Tilde. I think that I’ll stick with Witch as a replacement for Apple+Tab, then use Command Tilde combo for switching windows in the current application.
You folks using PCs? Macs have *option* keys (the teensy alt printed on the top of teh option key is there to help confused migrants).
Whoa, I guess thats a sign that I’m still not out of the throngs of the Microsoft brainwash! I fixed all incriminating evidence :) I think I need to go to rehab, lol.
I like the Witch app but I am having trouble with the way it is working for me with Parallels. Normally during the work day I run two virtual different virtual sessions and switch between them and Mac apps. The default option-tab works to switch between Parallels sessions and Mac apps/docs without any problem. Once In turn on the “Access for assistive devices” as requested by Witch, then I cannot use either the default Option-Tab or the Witch functionality to switch between Parallels sessions. Any ideas?
I said option tab but meant Apple-tab…sorry about that..
@ Tom McKeel
I had the same issue.. F9 and Command/Tab stop working completely, meaning the only way to get out of the VM is to click away from it. Not very good if you want to be keyboard king.
The only solution I could find out there in the depths of the interweb was to stop using Witch altogether, which is a shame because it’s a ‘killer app’.
I’ve been looking around. I can’t seem to find a fix for this issue. Maybe a future update for Witch will fix this problem.
PullTab claims to disable Apple Tab. This should let you use Apple Tab for Witch.
Thanks so much for the tip! This will change the way I work. Or, I should say it will now make my Mac work the way I do.
Cheers!