TwitterMemo: Cry Babies Aren’t Fun
October 28th, 2003
One of the more useful features that I use daily while working under the Windows stranglehold is the alt-tab application switching. I freaking love it. Normally I have like 20+ applications/windows open at once and alt-tab is the fastest way to get to the window I just used previously or haven’t used since I last rebooted my machine two weeks ago. Add in shift-alt-tab and various other combinations and you have an awesome keyboard shortcut. Heck, it even works within applications like “Homesite”:http://www.macromedia.com/software/homesite/ (alt-tab-control, I think) for switching between open documents.
Now, imagine my surprise when I started using Mac OS X and there wasn’t a very functional application switcher (using command-tab, Macs don’t have an ALT key… yay!). One did exist mind you but it only popped up the already annoying dock with the application icon at attention, not very cool or fast in my opinion.
Enter LiteSwitchX. LiteSwitchX was a great little application switcher built by once loyal Mac fans. You can hide certain apps from even showing up in the switcher, change icons sizes, and bring up a contextual menu inside the switcher among other things. Imagine my surprise when reading “Erik’s post”:http://nslog.com/archives/2003/10/26/developing.php about Proteron’s “Sam Caughron flaming Apple”:http://www.proteron.com/liteswitchx/openmemo.php for not giving his company credit for coming up with the application switcher idea that is now much improved in Panther (although it still needs some work).
bq. Memo to Sam:
Piss off pal. You didn’t invent jack squat. You improved an existing idea, yes, but you can’t claim a single patent on application switching. Instead of just creating something better that works in Panther (which you did), you fire off some historically miss guided rant about how you need to get credit for something you didn’t even do. What you’ve done now is not only piss off Apple but you’ve pissed me off and I won’t be buying jack from your company ever again, regardless of how good a product you may develop. Now, go cry in the corner.
I can’t even believe that this guy would even attempt to claim anything to do with creating the idea of application switching. Furthermore, as a former developer of shareware applications, I certainly wouldn’t go on record stating that I want credit for something I didn’t even do yet integrate into my own product. Unbelievable.
For more commentary on this topic, including discussion about other “claims of invention”, visit the “Daring Fireball”:http://daringfireball.net/2003/10/commandtab.
Entry Filed under: mac
2 Comments
1. Erik J. Barzeski | October 28th, 2003 at 9:18 pm
Incidentally, I often use LaunchBar to switch between running apps. Cmd-space “xyz” is faster than cmd-tab, search for the app you want, hit tab the appropriate number of times…
I really should try to give ExposÈ a shot, though. And at any rate, we’ve got three great ways to switch apps now. Four if you count “click its dock icon.” Five when you count “click any window.” Okay, so three or four good ways.
2. Jeffrey | October 28th, 2003 at 9:52 pm
I’m loving ExposÈ app switching. Very handy, fast, and slick. Map it to a mouse button or two and it’s easy as pie.