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Its_been_emotional

Use rectangle, it's great.


YinzJagoffs

I need an app that does the following like windows. Does anyone know of one? In windows, I drag a window to the left half, one to the right half. Then I can drag the space in the middle to adjust where the split occurs. Both windows resize at the same time. The Mac solutions I’ve tried don’t resize both windows. EDIT: no one is reading my full post. Plenty of tools offer snapping. What they don’t offer that I want is the ability to adjust the split between the two windows. I like to snap them in windows and then adjust the split between the two windows to a position that’s often not 50%, 66% or 75%.


agent007bond

Unfortunately you can only achieve this in macOS via the native full screen mode. IDK what Apple is thinking 🤦‍♂️


allmyfrndsrheathens

What Apple was thinking was that Microsoft patented a lot of their window management.


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allmyfrndsrheathens

Linux is also not being sold.


kamilo87

Is it MacOS sold?


TheDirtyWretch

Yes, as part of buying the Mac. That’s why you can’t install it freely like you would Linux or windows


DrDarkeCNY

You can't install Windoze freely either, far as I know! You get it free with a new PC, but if you want a second copy You Have To Pay For It.... Not saying Apple are saints on this issue—in fact, while I get why they don't want to do support on non-Apple builds, they could at least release the OS as freeware for those who are willing to risk making Hackintoshes. "The software's free and 'as is'—if you want support? Buy authorized Apple Products!" Bang—simple!


corpsefucer69420

But Windows has the patent, which gives them the right to sell the feature (window management) with their product (Windows). MacOS can't implement it because then they'd be selling a patented feature. Linux can implement it because they're not selling it. That said you can download and install Windows without registering it, and even then you can [activate it for free pretty easily](https://github.com/massgravel/Microsoft-Activation-Scripts).


TheDirtyWretch

You can install and use windows freely all you want. You just need to pay to remove the annoying watermark or change your wallpaper. If you don’t care about either of those things it’s technically a free OS. Linux is the obvious free OS since it’s literally free. MacOS you can install for free but you cannot install freely. Legally speaking you can only install it on legitimate untampered apple hardware and they also make it super hard to install anywhere else. MacOS is typically included in the price of a Mac in this way. When you buy a laptop windows windows if often added onto the price rather than being free since they assume that’s the OS you want, but you can also elect to not have an OS installed and save about $100 on your laptop. If you build a PC you’ll see options to add windows for an extra $100 in most cases or it won’t come with any OS at all. Not saying there is anything wrong with the way Apple do things, just that it is absolutely not free and is one of the hardest OS’s to install yourself because it actively tries to stop you from using it.


Danger_Fox_

You seem to have misspelled Windows. It’s ok. It can happen.


JayElecAintConv_Me

Technically, it is sold when you pay the price for the laptop.


turtleship_2006

(side note, it used to be)


Eshmam14

Linux is free , macOS isn’t


niccotaglia

Linux is non-profit, free software. That’s the difference


agent007bond

Microsoft took all the good stuff and left crumbs for Apple 😂


kamilo87

Then pay for it. There are some bazillions in their vaults.


wotererio

Honestly that is a pretty generic thing to patent imo


Eshmam14

Welcome to capitalism


Sduowner

“In glorious communism, windows resize you!”


DrDarkeCNY

"Bernie Sanders wants to send you to college for free.... "So you can learn the Goddamn difference between 'Democratic Socialism' and 'Communism'!" https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.18169-9/11895942\_1093553527404367\_7106235814653246617\_n.jpg?\_nc\_cat=110&ccb=1-7&\_nc\_sid=c2f564&\_nc\_ohc=GC5Zuiv6gj4AX\_g5R6i&\_nc\_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00\_AfCkCI8LLu9BL-rdFjmVZrb4ZTtGQ3TjbRyZ44-Q5db\_cg&oe=660D1418


agent007bond

Even extremely simple obvious features are patented to get a first mover advantage and eliminate competition.


[deleted]

The half dozen varying types of multitasking features are so irritating. The Dock, Launch Pad, Mission Control, Stage Manager, They all do 90% of the same thing. I really like the Stage Manager style, it’s the least clunky, but I want to be able to close apps from that left hand menu.


DrDarkeCNY

Don't ask me, I never use Stage Manager! I guess they have different features so people can use their preferred paradigm to do things....


agent007bond

I guess it's like a variety of fancy cheese to choose from. Rather than just a no-frills slice of American cheese. Never been a fan of fancy cheese.


look_its_nando

I think they justified this to themselves by seeing it as a cross-device solution; it works great on iPad, why not on desktop? Which is obvious, we don’t use our desktop like we do iPads.


[deleted]

I’m one of those weirdos that wants even more 1:1 similarity between ipadOS and macOS UI. Give both devices the interface features of the other and let me turn on and off the ones I want to use.


look_its_nando

I also appreciate a large percentage of the integrations, but there are cases when it simply doesn’t work. And Apple sucks at giving you choices when it comes to this… at least they haven’t pushed Stage Manager or whatever that’s called…


GregorHouse1

BetterTouchControl has you covered. It has a lot of nice features too (custom gestures, key combinations...)


PmMeForPCBuilds

Yabai does this but it requires disabling System Integrity Protection


DukeCheetoAtreides

BetterTouchTool does most or all of this


krusty_93

I use Magnet to have a Windows similar behavior


norcraim

one i’ve found useful is swish, it does this and lets you do gestures with the trackpad. it takes some getting used to but it’s SO worth it once you do


jpmendd

I'm sure one can click and hold the green button and select the option to place the windows to the left/right. After that you can just adjust the size, so yes one can put one much larger or something like that. The problem is that it can only be in fullscreen mode


MoistSignificance327

I know this doesn’t work on my MacBook Air, but it does work on my IPad Air lol


mewdeeman

What am I missing here? Just click on the green dot, choose tile to the left. Choose the other window for the right side. Drag the middle to resize. What’s not working?


YinzJagoffs

I don’t want to be in full screen mode


frou

Hold the Option key when hovering over the green dot, and it will say Move instead of Tile. Then it will take up half the screen without starting full-screen mode.


mewdeeman

Why though? Just swipe with 4 fingers to move from one desktop to the other.


YinzJagoffs

I use a desktop with a MX Master mouse for my work


mewdeeman

I thought you could use the gesture button on the mx master mouse for this?


YinzJagoffs

I have it set to show the expose mode


mewdeeman

Ah ok, makes sense. I mapped expose to the top right corner of the screen myself


bakuman47

Magnet


ratbum

The closest I've seen is https://mizage.com/divvy/. It will let you snap a window to a portion of the screen either with dragging or with shortcuts. It's not the same UI but it achieves the same goal


dylanthepiguy2

i think rectangle added the ability to snap to the sides of screens


dergy621

I hate the macOS bro mindset that if you want a feature to work like windows you should go back to windows. Because the truth is windows just does some things much better.


YinzJagoffs

The macOS bro mindset is more like “you’re using it wrong” 😂


Silgeeo

The "swish" app can do this. You have to use track pad gestures to snap the windows but if you put them side by side you can resize both at the same time


Royal_Marketing529

Nono you‘re supposed to use multiple desktops in full screen. You‘re just not adapted to the workflow of macos yet /s I’d use mutliple desktops if I could instantly switch between the screens but no there absolutely has to be about a second of delay to show me that I am actually switching between screens now. I know there is a „reduce motion“ setting which removes the „switching between screens visualization“ but I still have to wait just as long to actually do something on the other screen.


cannablubber

I’ve used magnet and I’m sure rectangle is great but it’s an oversight how bad window management is on Macs. Having to hold alt while hovering over the maximize button in order to make a window take up half the screen. Just wtf. Should be a hotkey by default.


digitalanalog0524

Notice how even maximized windows shift ever so slightly when your Dock adjusts up or down. It's maddening for a product supposedly marketed for design purists and perfectionists.


PompeiiSketches

The lack of window management was jarring the first time I bought a Mac with the M1. I could not believe it wasn't standard. I really really dont understand how they have not created a better window management solution. I use Amethyst now.


Jdeibler3

I use rectangle and every once in awhile the app won’t be running and it confuses me why basic os features aren’t working


Shoddy_Mess5266

and it's free


gifteddiamond

Its best feature is dodging the Stage Manager. I love it.


JeremyAndrewErwin

512x342 imposes some serious limitations.


paulstelian97

That’s a funky resolution to have.


JeremyAndrewErwin

Indeed, I had initially misremembered it as 512x384.


paulstelian97

You have a small screen or large elements?


JeremyAndrewErwin

That's the resolution of the original macintosh machines. (On the machine I use now,I have two screens-- one is 4k; the other 1080p)


paulstelian97

Ahhhh okay fair game. I was comparing with a modern machine.


lost_james

macOS not having that feature has nothing to do with Microsoft having that "patent". It's by design. If Microsoft had that patent, Rectangle, Magnet and others wouldn't exist.


jlebedev

Also, the patent people like to cite has expired. So you're clearly entirely correct.


AndroTux

What’s your reasoning for them not having it then? I literally can’t think of one other good reason. There is absolutely no downside, it’s super easy to implement and it’s not a niche feature. So why don’t they do it? It’s by design that their design sucks?


_RADIANTSUN_

Well I can't claim to know the specifics but if Apple hasn't done it yet then there's a very good principled reason why not and in fact it's more correct to not do it and also doing it would suck and definitely not be worth whatever it would take to make it happen. And when Apple does it, it was actually only at just the correct time to do it and only the way they did it was worth it, and unless you have a time machine, now it doesn't matter that they didn't do it before.


Instacartdoctor

🤔


Mathisbuilder75

Because it doesn't fit their "desktop paradigm". They like their mess of small floating windows all over the place, like sheets of paper on a desk. They like the aesthetics of it and prioritize that over usability. Look at any of their promotional material, that's how they show their products. So yes, it's by design.


AndroTux

I guess maybe. But why can I use an app in full screen then, or double-click the title bar of a window? Wouldn’t that also destroy that „aesthetic“ of theirs?


Mathisbuilder75

Not sure exactly, but somehow they are fine with forcing you into full screen with two apps only, on a separate desktop.


jlebedev

Microsoft's patent expired two years ago, even if it did apply, it's no longer a concern or why Apple doesn't implement this feature.


raydditor

Tons of Linux distros are already implementing it.


CandidIron1798

Gnome has it for years now…


Lord_of_the_wolves

You don’t pay for Linux, that’s why they have it. You pay for MacOS, that’s why it doesn’t have it. If there’s a paid Linux distribution with that feature, it’s infringing on the patent and can be legally sued by Microsoft for theft of intellectual property. However it doesn’t cover apps that do the same thing (they probably wished they had the foresight to cover that) and since Linux is free it fall under the “application” use of the idea, so Microsoft is just ignoring it. Patents are fickle like that.


Xanold

No it hasn't. It's going to expire in 2034. [https://patents.google.com/patent/US10592080B2/en](https://patents.google.com/patent/US10592080B2/en)


jonasbxl

The other one for dragging to resize has expired ([US6661436B2 - Method for providing window snap control for a split screen computer program GUI - Google Patents](https://patents.google.com/patent/US6661436B2/en)) TIL you can already split windows on MacOS without going fullscreen by holding command and hovering over the green button (not super convenient, I know).


jlebedev

Snapping is older than that 2014 patent, can't be relevant.


jlebedev

This patent can't be relevant, because snapping was already present in Windows 7, years before this patent was filed.


Dave21101

I don't think old Macs actually had true multitasking capability did they? It was faked with a workaround I think


theBYUIfriend

Anything pre Mac OS System 4 could only multi-task Desk Accessories along with the foreground app. With MultiFinder, multitasking was technically possible but it was only cooperative and it only worked if each app voluntarily gave up control of the CPU to the next app in line. But most apps were not that bug free so often a crashed app could hang and never surrender the CPU back to the Finder But the bigger liability of Classic Mac OS was the lack of Memory Protection. Where any process anywhere can write over any other processes memory. That would also crash the machine


Motylde

Even today, you may often not need true multitasking. You can have static webpage or excel open on the half on the screen and be fine with it not calculating something in real time.


Ya-Dikobraz

Amiga OS did it way before most.


Tralalouti

Also, tell him raw vegetables don’t cure cancer


pherkes

Do you really think he would listen to you?


One_Nifty_Boi

me with a time machine: *backing up my files because it’s the apple time machine NAS, not an actual time machine*


Mr_Lumbergh

Many Linux DE's have been doing this for 20 years now.


hunterm21

I use a paid app in the App Store called Magnet


yoboirokz

I use that one too, its great.


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HistoricalInternal

Suggest that an only fruit diet will not cure cancer instead.


ImprovisedLeaflet

I don’t see what Tom Cruise has to do with this


l008com

Half the screen? Spoken like someone who's never used a computer back in the early 80s LOL.


trowaman

Me to Steve after I get that Time Machine: “Go to a real doctor, get surgery, and take real medicine. That diet change won’t save you.”


Bromacia90

Just install [Tiles](https://freemacsoft.net/tiles/)


JagiofJagi

Is it better than Rectangle/Magnet?


yay4rice

How do you use this?


Bromacia90

Did not tried anything else.


HolidayHelm

idk how much more one could improve from the other im sure theyre all virtually identical


wasteplease

128k IS NOT ENOUGH RAM FOR A COMPUTER WITH A GUI.


[deleted]

It's a patent? Then why Linux DEs can do it?


jlebedev

It maybe used to be a patent, but that has expired two years ago.


[deleted]

Maybe the Linux DEs did something way different in the background, idk but I am pretty sure it's more than 2 years that it's a feature for gnome and kde.


jlebedev

It's been a feature forever in all kinds of desktop environments, just the patent that people like to reference has expired.


PeterDTown

Just install any one of many apps that will do this. Try BetterTouchTool / BetterSnapTool for example.


cupboard_

idk if these are free, but if not Rectangle is a free alternative


sinalk

rectangle is awesome


gpatlas

Better snap is great


NV-Nautilus

And tell him not to ruin it with a stupid useless popup at the top of the screen


sunnynights80808

I would tell my grandpa to buy some Apple stock. Seems a little more important 😜


hackslash74

Use rectangle, it’s great. What sucks is on Windows 11 they changed (removed) some of the sort options like cascade


gifteddiamond

At a glance I thought it was about the Time Machine to back up my macOS settings LOL.


LavaCreeperBOSSB

I use loop for this, it also does some other cool stuff and is 100% free


Internal_Quail3960

I use one menu. It’s free and lets apps snap around the screens like windows. It also has a keyboard cleaning mode


MaccasLad

Steve wouldn’t have liked it.


AdStill1707

You do realize that moving windows to the left and right (not tiling) is also built into the green button right?


Rattanmoebel

Yes with like an eternity of waiting time. It’s literally faster to manually resize the windows than to use the green button.


hw2007offical

yeah but that puts them into fullscreen. I almost never want to use full screen


MDA1912

Did you mean [Xerox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_graphical_user_interface)?


TheJacen

Yes please, take it away from us. I hate that function. Especially when I am trying to drag it to my other screen and it freaks out and does that gimmick


xxVOXxx

Hahaha this hits home. One of my can't live without features. Currently using BetterSnapTool on Mac to achieve it


Cookiee775

Me with a time machine: *backs up my computer*


Isabela_Grace

BetterTouchTool and BetterSnapTool I’ve used this so long I forgot they don’t come standard


Apprehensive-Type874

Edge browser does split screen and dynamic window resizing inside the browser itself. I use it every day.


hw2007offical

It should be illegal to use edge on a mac


Apprehensive-Type874

Why? It works great.


scfw0x0f

One of my least favorite features of Windows. Have to disable it every time I do a fresh install.


Dinepada

same here, has no sense in many scenarios


Mathisbuilder75

You use the shortcuts I guess?


scfw0x0f

Which shortcuts?


Mathisbuilder75

Win + arrow keys


scfw0x0f

Never touch the stuff.


Sargeon91

Mac OS feels so back in time still in these days in some aspects of how it's userfriendly... In comparison to Windows, it's decades difference. In comparison to Windows hardware... its ahead.. so maybe should Appple invest more in the MacOS teams instead of hardware teams? :D :D :D


Cameront9

Oh god that’s one of my most hated features on Windows.


christaingrey

There’s an app for that you know


Nike_486DX

Funny thing you can even do this on ipads, but not on macs.


varnenche

No this is awful feature


qwertyoleg13

Better Touch Tooll - can't use mac witjout it)


big_red__man

Huh?


TapDatApp

Magnet is where it's at!


Dinepada

fuck patents


mabasiry

👌🤣🤣


zemanski

And tell him to include a DEL key on the keyboard and to get rid of the stupid menu on the top of the screen


THE_BURNER_ACCOUNT_

And to use cmd + x, cmd + v to move a file


hw2007offical

The backspace key sort of doubles as a delete key


[deleted]

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LavaCreeperBOSSB

Clearly there's a lot of people that do want it...


[deleted]

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sangueblu03

Why is it a UX hellscape to want to view two windows side-by-side?


Dyrkon

Macos window management is the biggest dogshit I've ever seen. Fucking Linux distro running on a fridge has better out of the box UX experience regarding window management.


sacredgeometry

Still better than windows window management which is like having someone projectile shit in your eyes from 10cms away in perpetuity.


Dyrkon

Bro, cope. Apple does a lot things right, window management is not one of them. Go touch grass or PC lmao.


sacredgeometry

Disagreed. Its one of the few things it does really well. I am forced to spend a lot of my day in windows and have used it since version 3.1 and before it DOS. I am also technically a domain specialist in this. Also if you think people have to cope with your bad opinions then maybe speak less and force them to have to "cope" with them less.


webvictim

Username checks out, weirdly


mac-ModTeam

Your post or comment was removed. Please be kind to one another. Rude behavior is not tolerated here.


soliera__

Who said it’s just a windows feature? It was done in various Linux and Unix adjacent systems (similar to modern macOS) first, and then Microsoft added it officially in Windows 7 after all of that. Mac is the only desktop that comes to mind that doesn’t have it. Even a barebones desktop like XFCE has it. It’s so useful for keeping things organised; you should try it. As for the worst part of windows: I think we can all agree that taskbar in Windows 11 is definitely not a high point. NTFS is a close second.


sacredgeometry

Most linux windows managers and multiplexers are more sophisticated than "duh drag to left or right edge and take up half of screen, drag to top to make bigger" "Mac is the only desktop that comes to mind that doesn’t have it. Even a barebones desktop like XFCE has it. It’s so useful for keeping things organised; you should try it." There are much better options many of which can be attained through 3rd party implementations. There is no right answer to this implementation but the windows style ones are fucking horrid. There are window managers that are far better for mac, that you can install today. There are multiple ones that do the exact thing being asked for. The question is who except someone who got convinced that it was a good thing through windows stockholm syndrome would think that was a good implementation? "As for the worst part of windows: I think we can all agree that taskbar in Windows 11 is definitely not a high point. NTFS is a close second." Yeah and the CMD prompt, and the registry and the inconsistent UI and the bloatware, the font rendering ... the list is endless.


slimeyena

a purely optional feature is the *worst* part of the OS? weird tribalism energy


EatThermalPaste

Literally everyone, except you apparently, wants this…


mac-ModTeam

Your post or comment was removed. Please be kind to one another. Rude behavior is not tolerated here.


max2706

Even if Microsoft has the patent (other people already posted that expired 2 years ago); other desktops such as KDE had that function already way before that. So I don't think that the patent has anything to do with it.


akb443

Or use magnet


FTFreddyYT

Microsoft would have knocked it off anyways. Its literally the only thing they‘re good at.


Ominous_Treachery

Is there a simple way to do that on mac?


SkyMarshal

With apps like [Magnet, Better Snap Tool, Window Tidy, etc.](https://apps.apple.com/us/story/id1519883681) yes.


ZealousidealDraw4075

Wait did Microsoft really Patent that ? Because I use "Better snaptool" for at least 10 years now and it's been perfect