MacMost Now 581: Mission Control and Full Screen Apps

Check out Mission Control, a new feature for Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. Mission Control combines some features of Spaces and Expose and creates a new interface in Mac OS X for navigating between apps. You can give apps their own screen and flip between screens easily.

Comments: 27 Responses to “MacMost Now 581: Mission Control and Full Screen Apps”

    Russ
    13 years ago

    Thanks. Suddenly I have no desktop shortcuts. And they are checked in Finder preferences???

      13 years ago

      Can you be more specific? Which desktop shortcuts do you mean? Aliases? Keyboard shortcuts? Dock items? Finder sidebar items? Something else? Is this after installing Lion?

    Russ
    13 years ago

    Yes after installing Lion. I noticed that in Finder > Prefrences > General I have all the items checked to appear on the desktop. But, none of these items appear on the desktop (hard drives, External Disks, etc...SLowly reading what's new in Lion...

    Russ
    13 years ago

    Sorry to bother you. I have a third party app called Secrets. I unchecked a Finder preference and my drives, etc... appeared on my desktop again. The Lion install must have rechecked it somehow. Thanks for all that you do.

    Cynthia L. Finger
    13 years ago

    This may be a "stupid question", but just learning a lot about computers, sounding stupid is an all too familiar feeling, so what's one more time?!?!?

    If I upgrade from Snow Leopard to Lion, is that going to change how I do things I am familiar with? If I don't like Lion, can I change back or am I stuck with an unfamiliar upgrade?

    I hope you understand ... I am older and not in good health. Who needs the aggravation of trying to learn one more new thing?

    Thanks!!!!

      13 years ago

      Some things will change. Some will stay the same. And some will work both ways. For instance, watch the video on this page. This Mission Control is something new. But you can just ignore it and continue to open everything in a single "space" and it will be like doing it in Snow Leopard.

        Nuno Morgado
        13 years ago

        How will you do that? Pressing the F3 key and make it like it was in snow leopard?

          13 years ago

          Do what? Ignore Mission Control? Just don't' use it. Never put an app into full screen and never create a second desktop space.

    Randy
    13 years ago

    Hi there,

    My Mac has been freezing to the point where it won't do anything. My only option is to hold down the power button until it shuts down and then restart it. The coloured pinwheel starts spinning and spinning, but it never goes away. This was happening with Snow Leopard and is still happening with Lion.

    Any suggestions on how to fix this or what it might be?

      13 years ago

      It must be some software that you have running in the background. I'd try disabling things until you find the culprit. It will take some detective work. You could always take it to a Mac expert and have them try to find it for you.
      Hard to give more advice than that -- solving problems like this requires first-hand access.

    Rick
    13 years ago

    I never would have figured out how to add a desktop with that + on the right without you. Thank you.

    oscar
    13 years ago

    Hi gary!

    i probably have to get used to mission control.

    Personally, I miss how you could navigate up/down through spaces in SL. Also, the 'new' expose feature almost displays all windows 'on top of each other' as a stack, which renders it less useful i.m.o. Lastly, i miss the possibility to 'manually order' the spaces/desktops.

    Perhaps I'm overlooking something, and you have found a way to do these things?

      13 years ago

      Nope. There are some options in the System Preferences, but Apple decided to move forward rather than pile on tons of options into Mission Control. Probably for the best as "bloat" can become a major issue if they just keep adding options and never remove them. That's my guess, anyway.

    Hugh Bradley
    13 years ago

    Hola Gary!
    I have duplicate of some Apps, such as Safari, iWork Apps, etc. Is it because Safari is in the Dock? As for the iWork Apps, I have iWork 08 and 09. I guess I should delete the folder iWork '08, correct?

    Thanks again for your videos

      13 years ago

      Check in your Applications folder. Are they really duplicates, or just multiple Aliases to the same app? If they are duplicates, then just delete the old one from the Applications folder.
      Remember that Apps aren't really in the Dock -- those are just aliases to the real apps in the Applications folder.

    Hugh Bradley
    13 years ago

    As mentioned before I have 2 Safari's in LaunchPad Mode. I checked, as you mentioned, there is only 1 Safari Application in the Applications Folder. Also, I don't have an 'alias' in Favorites Folder.

    Thanks again

      13 years ago

      Hard to say what might be the cause without seeing it first-hand.

    Martin
    13 years ago

    Don't like the fact that you can only use full screen apps in their own spaces. Especially Address book. Why not all? I know you can open them in a new desktop but when several apps are open you can't see them and have to go to desktop to see.
    My dock also keeps freezing and the pin wheel is spinning far more than it ever has before. I keep having to force quit and shut down. I've switched off the apps re opening when you restart but hasn't helped.
    I love Apple and get exited every time there is something new but this feels like change for the sake of it and to be honest a step backwards!

    Tommy
    13 years ago

    Instead of having to go to the upper right corner to add a desktop in Mission Control, I have to go to the upper left corner. Does anyone know why my Mission Control is screwed up? This is on a clean install of Lion.

      13 years ago

      Interesting. That must be an option somewhere, or the reaction to an option you have set elsewhere. But I wouldn't think of it as "screwed up." If it works OK, then don't worry too much about it.

    Nicky
    13 years ago

    Hi Gary, You have a great website and really helps to know more about Apple and it's features...I have a question for my pages and numbers application on my MacBook pro!!...Earlier I installed the trial version and updated to the full paid version after a while,Everytime i open any document related to pages or numbers it automatically opens in the trial version and I have to always close and then check from the Open with option because I have to print certain documents which is not possible in the trial version...I need to delete the trial versions totally so that it does not create a confusion further..I have tried deleting it but it does not happen!!...Can you help??

      13 years ago

      Deleting them is the way to do it. Find those trial versions, put them in the trash and empty it. They can't run if they are not there.

    Mark Oshman
    13 years ago

    Thanks for your insights Gary.

    Question: I use two screens quite frequently. More specifically, I use a macbook pro and a presenter display that an audience can see on the screen. In the past when I would "show all windows" on my macbook, the secondary screen would simply just darken... no big deal. Now with Lion, there's this mission control animation that both screens show. Is there any way to turn off the animation on the second presenter screen? Thanks!

      13 years ago

      I don't think so. I'd look at the purpose being doing the "show all windows" and perhaps find another way to accomplice that while presenting. For instance, you can find any window by going to the dock now, clicking and holding on an app. Then you get a list of windows there.

        Mark Oshman
        13 years ago

        Thanks! That helps.

    Frogman Joel
    13 years ago

    I have a 13" MacBook Pro (the most recent generation) and I'm running Lion. I've grown accustomed to Mission Control and like it. But once or twice a day it simply stops running. The only way I can make it operational again is to restart the computer. Any idea why?

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