Wash Your Windows

Here’s a news flash from the Department of Unintended Consequences: windows are great, but they’re also a problem. As soon as you have more than a few windows open at once, it’s clear that those windows are like automobiles, and your monitor is like a Los Angeles freeway—it’s overcrowded, and no matter how much you widen it, it’s still going to be overcrowded. This is particularly a problem for an operating system like Mac OS X, where the windows of different applications can become intermingled. Finding the window you want can be like searching, amid the distracting red herrings, for the Purloined Letter: you might not be able to see it even if it’s in plain sight.

Each new major version of Mac OS X seems to take yet another stab at helping you deal with windows. Lion is no exception; it brings far-ranging changes throughout the spectrum of window management. Regardless of whether you think Lion finally gets it right when it comes to windows, you’ll want to be clear on how to work with windows in Lion: