- #BETTER WINDOW MANAGER ALTERNATIVES HOW TO#
- #BETTER WINDOW MANAGER ALTERNATIVES FULL#
- #BETTER WINDOW MANAGER ALTERNATIVES WINDOWS#
Because the DWM is in charge of compositing the screen, it can render translucent and blurred areas of the window. Previously, dragging a window could create visual artifacts, as described. When a window is obstructed by another window, the obstructed window does not need to repaint itself. The DWM provides several advantages over the old graphics architecture. The DWM then composites these surfaces to the screen. Instead, each window draws to an offscreen memory buffer, also called an offscreen surface. When the DWM is enabled, a window no longer draws directly to the display buffer.
#BETTER WINDOW MANAGER ALTERNATIVES WINDOWS#
Windows Vista fundamentally changed how windows are drawn, by introducing the Desktop Window Manager (DWM). If the repainting is too slow, it causes the artifacts shown in the previous image. As the top-most window is dragged, the window below it must be repainted. The trail is caused because both windows paint to the same area of memory. For example, if the user drags one window over another window, and the window underneath does not repaint itself quickly enough, the top-most window can leave a trail: This approach can cause visual artifacts if a window does not repaint itself correctly. In other words, the program would write directly to the memory buffer shown by the video card.
Open another app, and it might split the top half of the right side of the display with whatever app is taking up that space (Figure 1).Before Windows Vista, a Windows program would draw directly to the screen. What happens? One of those previously opened apps will shift up on either the right or left side of the display to allow the new app to take up 50% of that side. With a tiling window manager, you can open a second app, and it will automatically open such that it shares the screen with the previously opened app.
#BETTER WINDOW MANAGER ALTERNATIVES FULL#
Imagine you've opened one app and that app initially takes up the full screen. Instead of just snapping windows left, right, or full-screen, a tiling window manager uses your screen real estate in a very efficient way. I use snapping a lot when having to work between two Firefox tabs without having to click between tabs.Īnd that's the same driving force behind tiling window managers, but they take the idea to new extremes. Snapping windows is a very handy feature that makes it easier to focus all of your efforts on two windows simultaneously.
#BETTER WINDOW MANAGER ALTERNATIVES HOW TO#
If you want a full-screen app, drag the window to the top of your display, and it will automatically cover the entire display.Īlso: How to snap your windows on MacOS and Windows
Snap another window to the other edge of the display, and it will automatically take up the other half of the screen. I'll start my description of a tiling window manager by asking a question: Have you ever used window snapping on your desktop? Window snapping is when you are able to move an application to either the right or left edge of the screen, and the desktop interface automatically "snaps" the window such that it takes up half of your display. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping.
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