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gulmatan · Mar 4, 2006, 05:39 PM

Hi all.

Is there a hack/utitility that does this:

1--allows OS/X to run an app in the full window
2--because the entire screen is taken up by the currently active app, there is NO free area to accidentally click on an app window in the background

in other word, allows an app to commandeer the entire screen of the Mac.

rhythmicmoose · Mar 5, 2006, 11:27 PM

For single-window apps you can command-click the zoom button to have it fill the entire screen. Other than that, I don't know. If you don't like clutter, you can always hide stuff.

gulmatan · Mar 6, 2006, 02:23 AM

I just tried that in iTunes and it just resized the window to the smallest allowable square. IT DID NOT WORK!!!!!! And even if I hid an app, if I click on an open sliver, the background apps app pop back on screen. And then, when I tried that in Firefox, it just resized to a 3/4 size square.

Chuckit · Mar 6, 2006, 03:39 AM

Apps can do this themselves if their developers want them to (e.g., Photoshop, most games), but I don't think it's normally possible to force an app to steal the entire screen.

gulmatan · Mar 6, 2006, 04:11 AM

ChuckIt, every time I see that a Mac cannot do it all, I am slowly but, most probably, being convinced to do as your username says-go Chuckit on the Mac and move over to the Wintel camp. Why is it that Apple FORCES its users to face the agony and frustrations of the Mac's shortcomings (and, believe me, there are thousands of flaws in the Mac)?

MetalSnake · Mar 6, 2006, 07:55 AM

If you want fullscreen just resize the window it's really easy!
In my opinion fullscreen just sucks in most apps. I always drag and drop stuff from one app to another, with fullscreen this would be impossible (without Exposé).

fisherKing · Mar 7, 2006, 10:51 AM

i use fullscreen with photoshop, indesign, reason, logic, etc.

i use "transparent dock" (check versiontracker), and DE-selected "float dock on top".
(and of course, i have a transparent dock!)

i can drag a window over the dock, do my work.

to access other apps, i use the app switcher (command-tab).

works for me (and needed, on a 12" powerbook).

surfwax95 · Mar 7, 2006, 10:46 PM

I have a simple Applescript that I have set to a keyboard shortcut with Spark. I hit two keys and the window/app I have selected fills my screen. It's not that hard, but I'm going to have to agree with MetalSnake on this one, I hardly ever use apps full screen unless I'm browsing the net.

Altair · Mar 17, 2006, 05:25 AM

Originally Posted by gulmatan

ChuckIt, every time I see that a Mac cannot do it all, I am slowly but, most probably, being convinced to do as your username says-go Chuckit on the Mac and move over to the Wintel camp. Why is it that Apple FORCES its users to face the agony and frustrations of the Mac's shortcomings (and, believe me, there are thousands of flaws in the Mac)?

Full screen windows is only useful on low resolution or small screens. I would not want to maximize anything on my 20" widescreen monitor. That's a huge waste of space. Windows annoys me by not having a zoom button so I have to resize apps myself.

gulmatan · Mar 17, 2006, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by surfwax95

I have a simple Applescript that I have set to a keyboard shortcut with Spark. I hit two keys and the window/app I have selected fills my screen. It's not that hard, but I'm going to have to agree with MetalSnake on this one, I hardly ever use apps full screen unless I'm browsing the net.

Could you PM me the AppleScript please. You see, even if an app is not stretched properly, you could still click on a millimeter sliver or whatever that has a backgound app window. Even ths acident of an open sliver is enough error that if clicked in, brings up that underling app window and I don't want that either. So, the best thing for me, if your AppleScript does what I think--covers the ENTIRE screen with the current/in use app window, that's the AppleScript for me.

Macanoid · Mar 17, 2006, 09:41 AM

This is old, but it still works great and I use it if I want to focus on the forefront window:

FocusLayer

MacDog · Mar 17, 2006, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by gulmatan

ChuckIt, every time I see that a Mac cannot do it all, I am slowly but, most probably, being convinced to do as your username says-go Chuckit on the Mac and move over to the Wintel camp. Why is it that Apple FORCES its users to face the agony and frustrations of the Mac's shortcomings (and, believe me, there are thousands of flaws in the Mac)?

You're an idiot. But for the sake of argument, why don't you list the thousands of flaws you've found on the Mac. Please, let us see this exhaustive list of things you're too ignorant to figure out!

gulmatan · Mar 18, 2006, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by Macanoid

This is old, but it still works great and I use it if I want to focus on the forefront window:

FocusLayer

Tried it. Didn't really help though. All it does is gives you a solid background color to mask away the background apps. What I need is a way to 1--give an app the full screen and 2--prevent even a sliver of background apps from appearing and 3--prevent bringing up background apps by clicking below the menu bar (i.e. the app window area). The only way I want to bring up apps is either through the Recent Items menu or CMD-TAB or use ASM that puts the old OS 6/7/8/9 application menu it the right side of the menu bar.

sushiism · Mar 19, 2006, 10:13 PM

The fact mac apps dont fight to take over the entire screen is exactly why I love the platform, its incredibly counter intuitive

psmith · Mar 20, 2006, 02:31 PM

Sounds to me as if you're looking for a purist solution on ideological rather than practical grounds. One way of cleaning things up might be using MenuShade to hide the menu bar, hiding the dock and having a black dektop picture (and using "HIde Others") but I get the impression that that final sliver is forever going to rile you!

gulmatan · Mar 20, 2006, 10:43 PM

Nope! The menubar is not the problem. I'm okay with the menubar. My need is to isolate the entire remainder of the screen such that the active application has COMPLETE display of the rest of the screen.

himself · Mar 21, 2006, 06:06 AM

One thing I wish the switchers would get is the Mac OS is not Windows. Don't expect it to behave like Windows. Honestly, if you miss the Windows experience that much, maybe you're better off switching back.

I'm not trying to harsh, just straight-forward. This whole line of reasoning is like being upset at bananas because they don't taste anything like the oranges you were accustomed to eating.

fisherKing · Mar 21, 2006, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by gulmatan

Nope! The menubar is not the problem. I'm okay with the menubar. My need is to isolate the entire remainder of the screen such that the active application has COMPLETE display of the rest of the screen.

just curious...my post above....not useful?
again, with tranparent dock (the app), i can stretch windows over the dock, and use the full screen on my powerbook.

worth checking out...