Today ’s computers are marvels of engineering that can perform more tasks — and more unlike sort of tasks — than ever before . Not only that , but your Mac can be doing more and more of those task simultaneously ; you’re able to have 15 or 20 covering open without the computing machine even breaking a metaphoric travail . Ironically , all this activity is enough to drive you to misdirection , potentiallyreducingyour productivity .
If you ’re the type to be affected by such visual noise , one root is to use software that actually take over your Mac ’s screenland during habit ; for example , WriteRoomis a full - screen word CPU that obscures everything behind it . unluckily , there are n’t too many of these apps out there — chances are , your favorite app is n’t one of them . You could instead apply Mac OS X ’s obliterate Others command every time you exchange to a new app , but that ’s a scuffle ( and if you ’ve got a mussy Desktop , Hide Others wo n’t hide that ) .
An interesting option is Freeverse ’s raw usefulness , Think 1.0 (; costless ) . Put simply , remember have you concentrate on a individual software by hide all others .
When Think is running , bringing it to the front — either by clicking its icon in the Dock or by campaign Command+Option+Return — displays Think ’s Illumination Panel . look much like OS X ’s own Command+Tab covering whipper , the Panel displays the icons for all running applications .
select an program ikon with the mouse ( unfortunately , you ca n’t practice the keyboard to choose ) , and that program program is brought to the front , with all other apps shroud behind Think ’s opaque backcloth .
you may then work , undistracted , in that app . you could switch to a dissimilar program by again bringing up the Illumination Panel . ( Quitting the “ well-lighted ” app automatically displays the Panel , as well . ) Think ’s Dock ikon always includes the picture of the well-lighted program to facilitate you keep racecourse .
take down that if you press an program in the Dock , or choose a new program using OS X ’s Command+Tab diligence whipper , you wo n’t switch to that appinThink ; both the current , Think - highlighted coating and the newly - choose app will appear in front of Think ’s background . ( Freeverse ring the latter app a “ guest ” app . ) Although this behavior seems a second confusing at first , it ’s actually utile , as it rent you concentrate on multiple software — say , a word mainframe and an outlining usefulness — while other diligence stay obscured .
At any time , you could “ refocus ” Think on the earlier - opt program by clicking anywhere on Think ’s backdrop or by entreat Command+Control+Return ; any client applications will be sent behind the backdrop again . instead , if you ’re working in a guest applications programme and you want to focalise Think onthatapp , just press Command+Option+Tab ; the Edgar Guest app will become the iluminated app , and the previously - elucidate app will be obscured .
Whenever Think is running , a pocket-size control jury plasterer’s float on the screen ; you could place this control panel wherever you wish , and it remains semitransparent unless your mouse cursor is moved directly over it . This panel offer four simple control : a quit ( ten ) button , a color clitoris ( which contribute up OS X ’s color picker so you could choose a different color for Think ’s backdrop ) , a translucency slider ( which ascertain the semitransparency of Think ’s backdrop ) , and an Illumination Panel button ( which , as its name implies , brings up the Illumination Panel ) .
As a standard applications programme , intend is subject to Expose , which means that if you demand to access something on the screen background , or to switch to a particular windowpane in another app , you may easily do so . you may also hide Think , using OS X ’s stock Hide command , to get Think out of the way without step down it .
( A bonus feature : like Backdrop , Think is also useful for take screenshots — it ’s a quick way to unclutter the visual background . )
All of this may sound a chip confusing , but Think is actually somewhat simple to employ — the keyboard shortcut are especially useful — and you ’ll get the hang of it after only a few minutes .
What ’s not to like ? There are a few things I wish Think did a bit differently . For good example , as I mentioned above , you ca n’t utilize the keyboard to highlight / prefer an program program in the Think panel ; you must manually press an icon . And the gore itself does n’t appear if you alternate to believe using OS X ’s Command+Tab software switcher . If these two capabilities were let in , those who favor using the keyboard to a mouse / trackpad would find Think even more appealing . It would also be smashing if you could Command- or change over - click multiple apps in the Think control board in edict to work out in them at the same time , rather than having to choose one in Think and then manually bring the 2nd forrader by choosing it in OS X ’s Dock .
And , of course of study , the idea behind Think is n’t for everyone . But if you find yourself easily unhinge by the multitude of apps running on your Mac , Think is a alone and useful instrument .
intend requires Mac OS X 10.4 ( Tiger ) and is a Universal binary .
