Exposé

[BrianBW]

Any tips please? For me there seems to be no point in using Exposé
since I can't get any two applications to stay on the desktop at any
one time. Whenever I'm in (say) Mail, and I call up iCal, then Mail
will just minimise. Same with any two other apps. I raised this
query with a one-to-one trainer at the Bullring Apple store recently
and it flummoxed him too. I certainly can't find any way out of this
via system preferences.

I'm using an iMac 20" running OS 10.5.7.

This isn't really a big deal, but any ideas would be appreciated.

Ciao,

Brian

[Benjamin Stanley]

Hi Brian

Exposé has several modes and you also have Spaces just to add to the confusion!

I suggest you have a look here for the official Apple blurb...
http://www.apple.com/macosx/what-is-macosx/expose.html

I use it a lot just to get back to my desktop, so if I have mail, iCal
and Safari open, I just press one key to see the desktop and find the
file I want.
I tend to drag and drop stuff around rather than use File -> Open so
this works well for me, but it really is a personal preference thing.
If you don't want to use any of this then go in to System Preferences
-> Exposé & Spaces and turn off the Exposé bits.

Cheers
B.



2009/7/5 BrianBW <bri...@btinternet.com>:

--
Benjamin Stanley - Technical Director - Trilby Multimedia
47-49 Loveday Street, Birmingham, B4 6NR
Telephone: 0121 333 6860 www.trilby.co.uk

[William Gallagher]

I know there are third party utilities that add this auto-hiding
feature to OS X but I don't know the names. Perhaps Spirited Away?
Something like that. Could a previous or other owner have installed a
utility like this?

Plus you can make it happen by holding down the alt key when clicking
on a different application in the dock.

How do you tend to change between apps, by the way? If you don't
already do it with a keystroke, Apple-Tab, it might be worth trying it
just to see if that circumvents the problem.

William

[BrianBW]

Thanks for the replies Benjamin and William.  So far, no good though.  I've access your link, Benjamin, and this is what it says, "Instantly view all open windows in stunning style with a single keystroke. Exposé unshuffles overlapping windows on your desktop..."   (Etc. etc.).  Yep, I know what Exposé does. My problem is, I only ever get one open window at a time, and therefore never any overlapping ones.  Actually it's not a problem.  I can live with it.  It's just become more of a curiosity now.

William, I tend to open apps from the dock directly, and btw there was no previous owner, so no added software that I don't know about.

Your replies are appreciated all the same.  Thanks again.

Brian

On 5 Jul 2009, at 08:48, BrianBW wrote:

BrianBW

bri...@btinternet.com

[Dom Barnes]

Brian

 

Following are Keyboard commands if you don't have a new keyboard

 

F9 - Show windows for all apps
• F10 - Show windows for one app
• F11 - Show desktop
• Tab - Cycle through applications and their windows
• Shift-Tab - Go to the previous application
• Arrow Keys - Move between windows in Exposé
• Spacebar or Enter - Bring selected window to the front
• Esc - Leave Exposé, ignoring window selection

 

F9 sounds like what you want, to see all open windows on the screen, much like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/domster83/920010492/in/set-72157603256265128/

F10 shows all windows for a single app, i.e Safari windows, etc

Of course, this is only for application switching, not for permanently showing windows side by side, much like using Cmd+Tab to switch between apps.

 

If they don't work, then check the keyboard shortcuts in System Preferences, they may be turned off or not configured.

 

Dom

[Drew Reece]

Does typing work correctly or do you sometimes get weird characters?
It would indicate that alt (aka option) button is stuck. Pressing alt
+ clicking into another applications hides the current one (not the
same as minimize).

Otherwise take a look in the Apple Menu > System Preferences for login
items in the Accounts section. Send us the list of items set to open
at login, it is possible one is a plugin to add this feature.

When the applications "Minimize" do the applications windows show in
the right hand side of the Dock? Also is the "Minimizing" a sliding
motion off the bottom or the sides of the screen.

Do you have another user account on this machine, does it behave the
same?

Re:co

On 5 Jul 2009, at 08:48, BrianBW wrote:

>

[BrianBW]

Ah - this could sort it out, Dom. I"ll try all that when I"m back on my "puter. Many thanks.

Brian

Sent from my iPod

[Phil Brown]

I use hot corners with exposé to get around the problem. Drag the file to be copied/moved to the corner you've enabled to show all windows, then drag it over the window you want to move/copy to. Hover over it for a second and the window will open. Hope this helps.

Sent from my iPod

[BrianBW]

Thanks Phil.  I'm still working on all this.

Brian

BrianBW

bri...@btinternet.com

[BrianBW]

Re your 2nd para. Drew, pse see attached.