Our Verdict
Some of the most pop Gems are utility that make it soft or more convenient to arrange window on your screen — for example , to place a word - processor windowpane in your favorite locating , to draw up two Finder windows for easier file cabinet direction , or to stick a Web internet browser and a text editor program side - by - side to preview some vane code . ( I find these public utility to be especially utilitarian when using a trackpad , which , because it ’s less precise than a shiner or trackball , make such actions a bit of a trouble . ) Last week , Ireviewed Moom , and I ’ve previously covered Cinch , TwoUp and SizeUp , MercuryMover , Zooom , MondoMouse , and Fiwi . But there are still a number of nifty service program out there that make it easier to manage your window , and I ’m going to be cover the best of them over the next few weeks . Today ’s Gem - worthy tool is Misage’sDivvy .
With Divvy running , whenever you require to resize a windowpane , just click Divvy ’s systemwide menu - bar ikon or press its configurable keyboard cutoff ( I opt Control+Shift+D ) . Up pops a semi - vapourous storage-battery grid — by default , displaying six columns and six rows — representing your Mac ’s display . Click and embroil your cursor across these boxes to pick out the desired window size and position — you’ll see a useful drab preview box on the screen , indicating exactly where the new window will end up — and Divvy straightaway resizes and posture the selected window to pair . A nice touch is that if you ’ve got multiple display , Divvy ’s interface appear oneachscreen . If you want to resize a windowandmove it to a different screen , you just expend the Divvy interface on the desire screen door . Divvy will resize the windowpane and move it to that screen .
( As with many window - resizing / repositioning public-service corporation , Divvy wo n’t exercise with some software that utilize non - received windows . And , of course of instruction , if an app is firmly - cipher to prevent windowpane resizing or to enforce a lower limit or maximum window size , Divvy ca n’t overthrow those restrictions . )
By default , Divvy ’s interface disappear as soon as you select your desire windowpane sizing and position . But you’re able to take for Divvy to rest on the screen until you ignore it by pressing Escape or clicking Divvy ’s close button . This approach is convenient for resize multiple windows consecutively .
Divvy ’s default six - by - six grid works well , as it makes it easy to fill a exhibit with two half - concealment window ( arranged top / bottom or left / right ) or three third - of - a - covert windows ( arranged vertically or horizontally ) . But if you want more flexibility , Divvy ’s setting CRT screen rent you severally increase — up to 10 — the identification number of columns and rows .
or else , if you only occasionally need fine resizing and positioning growth , press Command+ or Command - Shift-+ ( the Plus key ) lease you total — just for the current resize / warehousing action — extra rows or columns , severally . Similarly , holding down the Option key doubles the turn of pillar and rows for that specific resize / reposition natural process . Unfortunately , the latter ( Option - key ) feature did n’t work for me — the “ doubled ” power system would briefly appear , but would melt before I could select a windowpane size and position . It ’s possible this was due to a conflict with another utility running on my Mac ; it would be utilitarian if Divvy would let you choose a different modifier key .
Divvy also let you configure keyboard shortcuts for frequently used windowpane sizes and locations . For model , you could set up Shift+Control+L for a half - screen window set against the left-hand - helping hand edge of the screen , and Shift+Control+R for a half - screenland window against the veracious - deal edge of the screen , making it sluttish to fill your blind with two window side - by - side . ( With multiple video display , Divvy offer an alternative to cycle the selected window between displays by repeatedly iron out a shortcut . ) These shortcut can be Global , which means they work at any time , or Divvy - only , which entail they wreak only when Divvy ’s interface is visible . The latter overture bring down the chances of shortcut struggle between Divvy and other programs , and it also let you use shortcuts that are easier to remember — for example , L for left-hand and R for right .
In some ways , Divvy is similar to Mac OS X ’s standard window - resize action — you must click and drag to resize and repositing window . But instead of having to use accurate pointer crusade to click - drag a diminutive resize recession and , subsequently , to stop at a specific objective size , you may make much coarser pointer movements to select your desired size and location . And you may resize and dislodge with a exclusive action .
That said , if you ’ve got a high - closure screen , the first of those benefits is palliate somewhat by the fact that Divvy ’s own port is comparatively small . I ’d like to be able to increase the sizing of Divvy ’s “ window ” to further boil down the amount of precise mousing I need to do . I ’d also wish to be able to move Divvy ’s port — rather of anchored in the snapper of the screen , I ’d choose it just below the menu bar and off to the rightfield a bit , as my computer mouse cursor is frequently in that region of the silver screen . ( Your work flow may let in lots of cursor time in a different location . )
One other feature I ’d like to see is the capability to reconstruct a Divvy - fied window to its original sizing and location . ( The developers have said they ’re look into such a lineament . ) Finally , I care you could align the transparency of the Divvy port . specially on the preferences screen , I find the text edition difficult to read with certain backgrounds .
But these are minor issues that do n’t prevent Divvy from being a cunning and intuitive alternative to drag form of address measure and flyspeck resize corners . And once you ’ve used Divvy ’s grid to move and resize windows , OS X ’s stock methods of performing these actions feel a bit primitive .
