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  • Wednesday, June 19, 2013

The Easier Way To Manage Your Mac’s App Window Clutter Is An Absolute Snap Tool

Tuesday, January 29, 2013 | Wil Gomez Posted In Cheap Mac Apps

BetterSnap ToolIf there’s one thing that drives me nuts about using a MacBook on the job and in the field it’s screen clutter.

Apple helps to minimize clutter with fullscreen apps, but if you keep a dozen apps running, and bounce back and forth between them, then you know that app windows float all over and create a visual and organizational mess. Why doesn’t Apple put a magnet in the borders of each app window to make it stick to the edge of the screen?

Now you can stick it to app windows yourself.

Stick It Too Me, Baby!

App window organization isn’t really much of a problem for average Mac users who work sequentially; one app at a time. The problem with app windows surfaces the more apps you run.

On my Mac at any one time there are a dozen apps open and running, and often more than that, each app with one or more windows.

Apple’s fullscreen mode in OS X is handy for some apps as it hides the cluttered windows. But even that has flaws.

Dragging and dropping text, graphics, code, snippets or whatever in fullscreen mode is a no-no. Why can’t Apple make app windows stick and stay attached to the Mac’s screen edges?

Until Apple figures out how to do it The Apple Way™ the solution is a window management app like BetterSnap Tool.

As the name implies it snaps app windows into place.

BetterSnap Tool

All it takes to clean up the clutter is a drag and drop.

Drag the offending or loose app window by the edges to the right or left side of the Mac’s screen, and release. It sticks.

Those are the basic snap areas where app windows can be sort of docked into place.

However, BetterSnap Tool is better for a reason. Create your own customized snap areas anywhere on the screen.

And, use custom keyboard shortcuts to move and resize app windows without leaving the keyboard. It works on Mac’s with multiple displays, too. And, it’s smart enough to create specific snapping sizes for specific apps (not all app windows are the same size).

At first glance, the BetterSnap Tool Settings, Customizations, Keyboard Shortcuts, and Snap Areas look to be complicated to set up. They’re not because it’s mostly set it once and forget about it.

I recommend that you start with the default settings, move some app windows into place, then fall back to the settings to make adjustments. It doesn’t take long to master window management and in the end you get a Mac screen that’s organized the way you want.

Try A Related Article

  • For Mac Neatness Freaks: The Window Magnet App That Organizes Mac Screen Clutter
  • The Simple Way To Manage And Organize App Windows On Your Mac’s Screen
  • How To Rescue And Control The Stray Windows On Your Mac (and why you need to)
  • 5 Ways To Love The Best Way Ever To Manage App Window Clutter On Your Mac’s Screen
  • Stop The Finder Window Hopping Madness With A Simple Window Organization Tool

Our Apple Village Peeps

Kate compares Microsoft Office vs. Apple’s iWork Trio: How The Cloud Levels The Playing Field. But is anyone making any dough? Say, What’s The Better Way To Browse Photos On Flickr? Use The Free Mac App F-Stop. It's very cool.

Elsewhere, Tera has the scoop on A Cheap iPhone With Cheap Colors Coming To A Store Near You. Jeffrey asks the musical question, Whatever Happened To iRadio? And Why Is iTunes Radio Better Than A Subscription? I don't know, either. Finally, Here’s The Easy, Free Way To Track The News From Major Newspapers In The U.S. An RSS reader is better.

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About Wil Gomez

I'm a Brooklyn, New York native, a Mac owner for over 15 years, and an IT specialist on mixed platforms-- Mac, Windows, and Linux. Read more of my articles here. My fiancée is Kate MacKenzie. Maybe you've heard of her. She's a little nutty. Follow her on PixoBebo.

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