Whether you've just switched to Mac or you're secretly a little jealous of Windows 7 features, there are some things Mac OS X just doesn't do that Windows handles beautifully. Here's how to get Windows' best features on your Mac.
People talk about 'Mac Envy' a lot, but you hear a lot less about Windows jealousy—even though Windows has some pretty drool-worthy features. Whether it's the productivity-boosting Aero Snap or the ability to fully maximize windows with the click of a button, here's how to get some of our favorite Windows features on OS X. (If you're a Windows user, too, be sure to check out how to get Mac OS X's best features on your Windows PC, too).
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BetterSnapTool: Windows-like window snapping for macOS By nickmcummins On January 10, 2018 0 One thing that bothers me about macOS is the lack of the side-by-side “window snapping” functionality that is built into any modern version of Windows and in many Linux windows managers. Windows 7 has this cool new feature (at least new to being built into Windows) that allows for the “snapping” of windows. Basically, the Windows 7 snap feature has to do with having a window line up with either an edge (or edges) of your desktop OR with the edges of other windows.
How to Get Mac OS X's Best Features on Windows![]()
Whether you're a die-hard Windows fan or simply a Mac user required to occasionally use…
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A lot of the apps mentioned in this post are, unfortunately, shareware. I looked for free options and found a few where noted, but almost everything here is a pay app. As such, you may not want to rush off and buy all of these, but check out their free trials and see which ones actually make your life easier. And remember: $7 may seem like a lot for an app, but if it's something you'll use every day and makes your life easier, it might not be so bad.
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True Window Maximization
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One of Mac OS X's most annoying features is the lack of true window maximization. That is, when you click the maximization button—the little green one in the corner of your windows—only some applications actually maximize to fill up your monitor. Instead, many just stretch to fit the contents of the window. This can be nice, but if you want to focus on just one thing, or if you just need more space for whatever you're working on, you have to resize the window manually.
Previously mentionedRightZoom is a simple tool that changes the behavior of the green button, causing it to always maximize the window. It isn't perfect (since it then gets rid of the old behavior, which is sometimes good), but it's the best free option we've found. You can alternatively grab Flexiglass, will maximize only when you right-click on the button, but it's $10. It also has a few other window management features though, which we'll talk about in a moment. Of course, most of the Aero Snap programs detailed below will also maximize windows, but using a keyboard shortcut or dragging motion rather than the green plus sign.
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RightZoom Makes the OS X Maximize Button More Like Windows
Mac OS X only: System utility RightZoom runs in the background and modifies the OS X maximize…
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Window Previews
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When you hover over a taskbar icon in Windows 7, it shows a tiny preview of all the windows open in that program, which is great for quickly bringing one into focus (or un-minimizing it). In OS X, you can right click on a dock icon to see the open windows, but the lack of thumbnails makes it hard to distinguish between them. (You can also click and hold on an app to get an Exposé of its windows, but that isn't quite the same). If you'd prefer a more Windows-like behavior, the previously mentioned $10 Hyperdock will give it to you. You can hover over dock icons, close windows right from there, and get a ton of other window management features (which we'll talk about in a moment) right from its preference pane. This is one of my favorite OS X enhancers—easily some of the best $10 I've spent in the Mac App Store.
HyperDock Brings Window Previews, Other Dock Enhancements to OS X
Mac only: If you wish you had Windows' Aero Peek-like window previews in OS X's Dock,…
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Aero Snap's Window Snapping (and Then Some)
Windows 7's Aero Snap feature is a godsend for anyone who needs to work in multiple windows at once. By clicking and dragging a window to the edge of the screen, you could 'snap' them to fit half the screen and use them side-by-side. You can also drag a window to the top of the screen to maximize it. There are a number of different tools that do this for OS X, but they all have a different mix of features, so you'll want to pick the one that works best for you. Here are our favorites:
Snap Any Window to Half the Screen Size in Windows 7
Click to view We're on a Windows 7 screencast bender! You've already seen Windows…
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Mac Program For WritingCut and Paste in the Finder
In Windows Explorer, you can cut and paste files all you want, but for some reason Mac OS X's Finder only lets you copy and paste files—no cutting allowed. There's a very easy way to get this functionality on OS X, though: previously mentionedMoveAddict will add keyboard shortcuts for cut and paste to the Finder, and as long as you only want to move one file at a time, you can do it for free. If you want to cut and paste large batches of files, though, you'll need to shell out $8 for the program.
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MoveAddict Adds Cut and Paste to the OS X Finder
Mac users have longed wished that the Finder would implement a very simple feature: cut and paste.… Best mac email program for yosemite.
Mac App For Snapping WindowsRead more ReadBest Mac Program For Graphic DesignGet a Better Window Switcher
Bandwiht monitoring program for mac. Cmd+Tab is a fine app switcher for something that's built-in, but if you're more used to how Windows does it, you'll probably get frustrated pretty quickly. It only switches between apps, not windows, and if you have any windows that are minimized or hidden, Cmd+Tab won't open them up unless you learn some hand-cramping new shortcuts. If you'd like a more powerful window switcher, Witch is a pretty good choice—although not exactly cheap at $14. However, it does give you a more Windows-like switcher, with a full list of open windows, thumbnails of each one, and some serious shortcuts (not to mention configurability). If you use Cmd+Tab a lot but aren't satisfied with the built-in offering, you'll probably find Witch is a very powerful program well worth the cash.
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Open and Un-Minimize New Windows From OS X's Application Switcher
/:16 The Command+Tab keyboard shortcut is useful for quickly switching the active window, but…
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Mac Program For Snapping Windows Means That YouGet Windows-Style Keyboard Shortcuts
If you just feel that your hand is too cramped reaching for Command instead of Control, or your Windows muscle memory is too great, you can use previously mentionedDoubleCommand to remap some of your keys in OS X. It can remap a whole host of things, some of the most useful being Ctrl, Cmd, and Alt. So, switching Cmd and Ctrl, for example, means that you'll go back to the Windows-style Ctrl+C shortcut for copy, Ctrl+V for paste, etc. They're small tweaks, but if you're used to Windows (or if you're forced to use Windows at work), it's nice to get back to the keyboard shortcuts that you're used to.
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Remap your keyboard with DoubleCommand
Mac OS X only: Free, open source application DoubleCommand remaps your Mac's modifier keys,…
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Stop Snapping WindowsRead
You'll never be able to get Mac OS X working exactly like windows, though I don't expect most Mac users would want to. Thankfully, with just a few simple tools and tweaks, you can get the Windows features that do matter on your Mac. Got any of your own favorite features we skipped over? Let us know how you brought them over to OS X in the comments.
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You can contact Whitson Gordon, the author of this post, at [email protected]. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.
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