dreadedmonkeygod . net

Okay. I want something fully understood before I go on: I hit this phase with every new programming language and UI I learn. It's that sweet sour spot where I've used the thing enought to know that I hate, but not enough to know about all the stuff I'll eventually love. It's the point where my usual ways of doing things (which are shaped by other languages/UIs) collide with a different mentality.

At the moment, I kind of want to throw OS X out the window and install Debian Linux or something.

Alt-Tab

Alt-Tab switches between applications, not windows, so if you have two Firefox windows open and want to Alt-Tab back and forth, well, it sucks to be you. I'm told that Cmd-~ swaps between windows, but I'm not happy about having to adjust my muscle twich memory around what kind of window I'm looking for. I think it's crap that instead of just hammering on Alt-Tab to get to another window, I have to stop and ponder a moment: "Is the window I'm looking for a member of the same application as the one I'm using, or is it a different one?"

Clicking the dock doesn't necessarily open a new window.

When I click the dock icon for, say, Firefox, it's because I want a new Firefox window. But if I already have Firefox running, it just transferrs focus to that application. The net result is me swearing at the computer. "No, a NEW one, you imbicillic machine! If I wanted the EXISTING one I'd have used Alt-Tab!"

Alt-Tab doesn't restore minimized windows.

This makes sense when you think of Alt-Tab as switching between applications, not windows. You don't want all those minimized email drafts jumping onto the screen all at once. But I've already weighed in on the wisdom of that.

Closing Windows Doesn't Close the App

Not sure who's responsible for this, but they should be shot. Here's my thinking: Windows are the user interface for the app. When I close the last window, the app effectively has no UI. Why keep a UI-less app around?

This is especially annoying when I try to Alt-Tab to an app that has all it's windows closed. The exchange usually goes like this:

1. Alt-Tab to Firefox
2. Get blank screen. WTF?
3. Click the Firefox icon in the dock.
4. Again, nothing. Erg...
5. Finally manage to focus on Firefox app, and hit Cmd-n for a new window.
6. Hit Cmd-d to select the address bar, get "Bookmark This Page" dialog. Motherfucker!

In the end, an operation that usually takes me about 2½ seconds ends up taking the better part of a minute, because I have to stop and second-guess years of muscle memory before each and every operation. It's about as comfortable as a three-legged sack race.

Okay, that's it for now. In general, I'm really happy with my Powerbook, but when I just want to cruise through writing a couple emails, posting here, etc., it's really, really annoying.

Wait, wait, no. One more thing. Tabbing through a form skips non-text entry fields. Dumb.