Witch makes switching between windows easy. Have you ever wanted to switch to a certain window, not just the application it belongs to? While you can use Exposé to switch windows, doing so can be very clumsy if you're the keyboard-only type of user. And don't all of these windows look just the same when they are scaled down?
Witch lets you access all of your windows (in all Spaces using Mac OS X 10.6 and Witch 3.2 or newer) by pressing a shortcut and choosing from a clearly arranged list of window titles. You can also see an optional window preview before switching windows.
What's New
Version 3.7:
Ready for use with certain new features of certain future operating systems.
Cyrillic equivalents of w, q, etc. for closing, quitting, etc. now work properly. (Hat tip to Pavel Z. for reporting this one.)
Fixed a bug that caused window ordering to change when closing windows from the switcher using certain sort orders and keyboard shortcuts. (Hat tip to Olivier G. for reporting this one.)
It seem like Witch uses too much virtual memory for what I use it for. I just have it as an alternative way to switch between apps with gestures since if I use xgestures with the native apple app switcher there's a bug with apple or whatever that will make it scroll continuously as if I'm pressing and holding Command-tab without letting go. Witch handles it much better, but I'm not sure it should be using so much VM as it goes. (it uses as much as safari does) - Mac OS 10.6.7 / Witch 3.7
I ended up going with LiteSwitch. Works much faster, don't force you with a vertical list, uses less memory, etc. - You can also cancel by just click the grey area around the icons. Witch is just too cumbersome.
Can't see previews of Photoshop photos, I mean first tab is visible. There is also problem with psd-cmyk photos- cant see prev. Generally this version is unstable. I'll wait until next update will be available.
Until Apple sees fit to give us a system-wide 'tabs' API, and other developers see fit to use it, tabs will be problematic. We're looking at adding some app-specific tab support in Witch 4, if we can (i.e. if the apps will tell us about their tabs).
In Witch 4 -- the next major release -- we'll be offering different layout options for the switching panel and preview windows. However, we can't do that in the current release, as it's going to require a major rewrite of the interface.
But rest assured, it's on our list, and it will be addressed.
A good, solid update to Witch. The new customization options are nice, and the ability to replace Command+Tab and Command+` is just what I was hoping for. I don't use Spaces, so fortunately I'm not bothered by the lack of compatibility. The upgrade price for Witch 2 owners is very reasonable at less than half of the full purchase price. Unlike with Leech, I don't grudge the upgrade cost for Witch. Other than the 32-bit pref pane annoyance, it worked fine for me in Snow Leopard, and I feel like I got my money's worth from it. I'm glad to see Many Tricks back up and running, and I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that, with their new organizational scheme, the old inconsistencies with updates and support won't be issues any more.
People are starting to mention WindowFlow in here. I think it's a good utility too, but there are a couple of things that still make Witch the clear winner for me at this point. First and foremost is that WindowFlow doesn't properly keep track of the order of minimized or hidden windows (at least when sorting by window activity). It lumps them together at the end of the list, so any time you minimize or hide a window it goes to the bottom and throws off the sorting order, which is a major annoyance since I use minimized windows a lot. The second thing is the lack of a function to cycle the windows of the frontmost application only. That said, I can see why heavy Spaces users might prefer WindowFlow at this point. Whichever utility you prefer, it's always nice to have alternatives :)
Needs Spaces support. WindowFlow handles this perfectly (and even tells you which space a Window is in before you switch), so it clearly is not a case of it being unimplementable. I registered version 2.0, and found it useless for this reason.
Agreed, although I find Witch to be faster and more responsive. I also wish that Witch would change the way it does the "exclude" function. I hate having to type in the names of the applications I don't want to show. A lot of these have particular spellings (e.g., some end in "X" and leave a space; some end in "X" and don't leave a space), and it's a minor annoyance (not a major one) to have to type it in just right. Most applications that allow exclusion either let you just drag and drop into a box or have an "add" button to search for the app you want. Again, though, that's hardly a life-and-death issue.
Witch gets unresponsive when the system is under high load (while I am able to use any other application like ms word, watch movies etc.). Emailed to the developper but got no response.
Once upon a time, when switching windows with Witch, I could highlight a window and click w or q, and thereby close the window oe even quit the program. This seems no longer to be possible. Any insights here? Tips? Plans for the future?
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Witch makes switching between windows easy. Have you ever wanted to switch to a certain window, not just the application it belongs to? While you can use Exposé to switch windows, doing so can be very clumsy if you're the keyboard-only type of user. And don't all of these windows look just the same when they are scaled down?
Witch lets you access all of your windows (in all Spaces using Mac OS X 10.6 and Witch 3.2 or newer) by pressing a shortcut and choosing from a clearly arranged list of window titles. You can also see an optional window preview before switching windows. Moreover, you can use Witch to...
Directly access minimized windows without using your mouse
Close minimized windows without bringing them to front first
+279
+279
+279
-3
-4
+5
I happen to prefer Witch's method, but understand that others may prefer Switche or WindowFlow, which is exactly what's great about an open market.
Witch 4 will have some additional layout options, so maybe it will appeal to some folks who currently prefer the others.
-rob.
+1
-rob.
+4
+112
Zx reviewed on 23 Jun 2010
Thanks.
+8
But rest assured, it's on our list, and it will be addressed.
regards,
-rob.
+30
Bonobo reviewed on 14 Jun 2010
+2
+30
Bonobo reviewed on 25 May 2010
+4
+683
People are starting to mention WindowFlow in here. I think it's a good utility too, but there are a couple of things that still make Witch the clear winner for me at this point. First and foremost is that WindowFlow doesn't properly keep track of the order of minimized or hidden windows (at least when sorting by window activity). It lumps them together at the end of the list, so any time you minimize or hide a window it goes to the bottom and throws off the sorting order, which is a major annoyance since I use minimized windows a lot. The second thing is the lack of a function to cycle the windows of the frontmost application only. That said, I can see why heavy Spaces users might prefer WindowFlow at this point. Whichever utility you prefer, it's always nice to have alternatives :)
+3
+155
+4
-rob.
+1
+34
Caberlin reviewed on 07 Apr 2010
+12
+235
-rob.
+19
Since there is no way to buy this app anymore, can anyone please tell me how to disable the annoying "Please buy Witch!" message?
Many Tricks was gone for a while, but we've been back since March of 2010, and we're here to stay now.
-rob.
+3
MacBook Pro / OS 10.4.7
As far as I know, that old feature never went away, and it still works in the current (3.5.6) version of Witch.
-rob.
+5
Dan1983 rated on 08 Dec 2010