Mac keyboard shortcuts

Question

The single most useful (and important) keyboard shortcut is Cmd-Tab. This is the application switcher. There was nothing like it in OS9.

If you have multiple applications open, rather than going to the mouse and clicking on an document or to the Dock to click on the application icon, click Cmd-Tab to roll through the open apps.

(Apple stole it from Windows.)
Second most important is Cmd-H to hide open apps. This is the opposite of Cmd-Tab, as it sends to the back anything you are currently in.
Actually, the most important keyboard command is Cmd-S. But you probably already knew that.
Off to the salt mine...

"Walter, STFU."
- If The Dude had an Internet connection

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]The single most useful (and important) keyboard shortcut is Cmd-Tab. This is the application switcher. There was nothing like it ... back anything you are currently in. Actually, the most important keyboard command is Cmd-S. But you probably already knew that.[/nq]
Then there's Exposé which I have mapped to a Mouse button (why won't Mac make its own scrollwheels/multiple buttons???) very useful!

Also a shareware/freeware add-on called "Show Desktop" which goes beyond the Exposé command that hides applications temporarily to Hide All apps completely.
Other things I rely on:
TypeIt4Me can't work without it. Well worth the Shareware Fee.

PithHelmet gets rid of banner ads in Safari. I never see any advertising on the Internet!
And, I just installed Default Folder X a great add-on.

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/13660

It really should be part of the system software...

"Writing is an occupation in which you have to
keep proving your talent to those who have none."
Jules Renard

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The single most useful (and important) keyboard shortcut is Cmd-Tab. This is the application switcher. There was nothing like it in OS9.[/nq]
Even better, enable Expose (for those with Panther). Toggle between all active windows, windows within the program your working in, or clear windows to access the desktop.

Stephen Mack
"Nobody's smart enough to be wrong all the time." -Ken Wilber

Usenet · Answer

While we're mentioning add-ons to make a Mac more keyboard-fuctional (this is becoming the Mac newsgroup), I should bring up iSeek, which I swear by. It's a text box up on the menu, and you can assign different keystrokes to do all kinds of net searches: Google, news, usenet, Netflix/imDb/Yahoo! Movies searches, eBay, Amazon, stocks, lyrics, dictionary, etc. I think it's like $15, and available at all the usual places.
BTW, the new "dashboard" feature for Tiger looks awesome. I can't wait to give it a try.

Stephen Mack
"Nobody's smart enough to be wrong all the time." -Ken Wilber

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The single most useful (and important) keyboard shortcut is Cmd-Tab. This is the application switcher. There was nothing like it in OS9.[/nq]
Actually, command-tab worked in my last version of OS9.

It's got a very different functionality from the Windows version, however. In OS X, cmd-Tab switches between applications, not windows. In Windows ctrl-tab will cycle through all your windows. In OS X, it will hit each application only once, giving you the topmost application in that window.
However, OS X also has cmd-` (that's the key right above the tab, with the tilde on it). That switches windows WITHIN an application.

-Ron

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Actually, command-tab worked in my last version of OS9. It's got a very different functionality from the Windows version, however. ... has cmd-` (that's the key right above the tab, with the tilde on it). That switches windows WITHIN an application.[/nq]
What I want in OSX is what WindowJuggler did:
Toggle between all open windows, including folders. With WindowJuggler you could toggle back and forth between a window in, say Word and a window in Screenwriter regardless of how many windows were open.

Exposé does do this, and there are some keystrokes thgat let you cycle through the wondows without using the mouse, but it just isn't as intuitive as WindowJuggler.

"Writing is an occupation in which you have to
keep proving your talent to those who have none."
Jules Renard

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Exposé does do this, and there are some keystrokes thgat let you cycle through the wondows without using the mouse, but it just isn't as intuitive as WindowJuggler.[/nq]
Hm. I don't know what third party add-ons there are, but I suspect you can find something that does what you want at versiontracker.

(I disagree, however, that it's more intuitive. I find it incredibly clunkly to have to cycle through a large number of windows with just cmd-tab. Different strokes for different folks, and all that.)

-Ron

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Exposé does do this, and there are some keystrokes thgat ... the mouse, but it just isn't as intuitive as WindowJuggler.[/nq]
[nq:1]Hm. I don't know what third party add-ons there are, but I suspect you can find something that does what you want at versiontracker.[/nq]
Nope there's nothing.
There are quite a number of Mac-heads out there lamenting the demise of WindowJuggler.
[nq:1](I disagree, however, that it's more intuitive. I find it incredibly clunkly to have to cycle through a large number of windows with just cmd-tab. Different strokes for different folks, and all that.)[/nq]
Maybe intuitive isn't the right word more a matter of efficiency.

In any case I have learned to coxist with Exposé, if not to like it as much.

"Writing is an occupation in which you have to
keep proving your talent to those who have none."
Jules Renard

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Maybe intuitive isn't the right word more a matter of efficiency.[/nq]
Again, I disagree I think you're confusing what you're used to with what's more efficient.
It's more efficient for you because that's how you've been doing it. I find it much less efficient to have to cycle through a large number of windows to get where I'm going when I know that most of them (eg, those not having to do with the application I want) are irrelevant.

-Ron

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1](I disagree, however, that it's more intuitive. I find it incredibly clunkly to have to cycle through a large number of windows with just cmd-tab. Different strokes for different folks, and all that.)[/nq]
I agree. Windows has had that tab-through-each-window technology for a while, but if you have a large number of windows up, it's a time-waster. Years ago I figured out that you had to have an icon on your desktop in order to assign a shortcut key to it, so I've got 60 desktop icons, most of which I can get to via alt-ctrl-A, alt-ctrl-B, alt-ctrl-C, &tc. It's very handy, and with 20 or 30 windows open (my typical number), you need a direct path to each instance of telnet or a browser or, more importantly, Movie Magic 2000 (alt-ctrl-M).
There's got to be a way to do this on OS/X, right? I'm busy reading up on it anyway...
I should feel bad about starting OT threads, but I knew y'all would have a lot of info for me, and I really appreciate everything you've put out there.
Alan Brooks
~~
A with an Underwood
misc.writing.screenplays.mac
The MWSM FAQ: http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/faq.html Filtering Trolls: http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/trolls.html

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Maybe intuitive isn't the right word more a matter of efficiency.[/nq]
[nq:1]Again, I disagree I think you're confusing what you're used to with what's more efficient. It's more efficient for ... when I know that most of them (eg, those not having to do with the application I want) are irrelevant.[/nq]
Well I see what you mean, but I rarely have that many windows open so it's efficient for me.

"Writing is an occupation in which you have to
keep proving your talent to those who have none."
Jules Renard

Mac keyboard shortcuts

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