IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Native Instant Space Switching on macOS

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Third‑party tiling tools dominate – Users repeatedly cite Rectangle, Aerospace or Yabai as the way to get Windows‑style window management.

“I use Rectangle.app and enjoy it. I have shortcuts to move windows to the left/right half of the screen…” (probabletrain)

2. macOS Space animation is a pain point – Many find the switch‑space animation sluggish and distracting.

“It is stuttery when you use the magic touchpad via Bluetooth, same applies to the cursor. It's very noticeable with slow movements.” (alpaca128)

3. Need for deterministic, O(1) workspace switching – Power users want fast, mnemonic‑driven jumps between spaces.

“I use mnemonics like always putting discord on workspace “D” so it becomes quite fast.” (airstrike)

4. Frustration with Apple’s removal of grid spaces and SIP‑heavy hacks – The lack of a native grid view and the need to disable SIP for advanced managers annoys experienced users.

“I still miss the grid spaces that got removed in Lion.” (spiderice)

🚀 Project Ideas

Generating project ideas…

[SpaceSwitcher Pro]

Summary

  • A menubar utility that lets users assign custom names to macOS spaces and switch to any space with a single O(1) hotkey (Cmd+1‑9, etc.).
  • Solves the slow, linear space‑switching frustration and eliminates the need for manual Mission Control navigation.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience macOS power users, developers, and multitaskers who rely on multiple spaces for workflow isolation
Core Feature Hotkey‑driven O(1 switching to named spaces, live space indicator in menu bar, per‑space naming
Tech Stack SwiftUI, Combine, AppleScript/Automation, Accessibility APIs
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes- Directly addresses HN complaints about “animation slowdown” and “need for O(1 app‑switching” (e.g., “cmd‑tab fatigue”, “spaces are linear”).

  • Would let users replicate the “grid‑like” mental model described by many commenters (e.g., “always put Discord on space D”).
  • No SIP changes required, making it instantly installable and safe for corporate machines.

[TileSpace Studio]

Summary

  • A lightweight, native tiling overlay that lets users snap windows into pre‑defined zones and assign them to specific spaces without disabling System Integrity Protection.
  • Provides deterministic window placement to avoid the “random window jumping” problems reported in the discussion.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Developers, designers, and users who want Windows‑style tiling on macOS but avoid SIP‑breaking tools
Core Feature Drag‑and‑drop snap zones, per‑app layout presets, hotkey‑assignable space‑to‑layout mapping
Tech Stack Swift + AppKit, CoreGraphics, macOS Accessibility framework
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes- Mirrors the desire expressed for “deterministic app switching” and “tile‑like behavior” (e.g., “Windows‑like tiling manager”, “no more spaces jumbling”).

  • Appeals to users frustrated with existing solutions that need SIP disabled (e.g., yabai, yabai) and want a safer alternative.
  • Could integrate with existing tools like Rectangle or Shortcat for a seamless workflow.

[GridSpaces]

Summary- A replacement for macOS Mission Control that introduces a true 2‑D grid of virtual desktops, controllable via trackpad gestures or hotkeys, with an optional “no‑animation” mode.

  • Restores the grid‑style space navigation that many longtime macOS users miss and speeds up space changes.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience macOS users who prefer grid‑based workspace organization and dislike the linear space switcher
Core Feature Grid UI in Mission Control, hotkey jumps to any grid coordinate, toggle‑able animation speed
Tech Stack SwiftUI, Metal (optional for smooth grid transitions), Accessibility APIs
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: one‑time $14.99 license

Notes

  • Directly answers recurring complaints about “spaces animation”, “linear design feels simplistic”, and “missing grid like Snow Leopard”. - Commenters highlighted “grid spaces” as a coveted feature (e.g., “I miss the grid spaces”, “grid is easier to navigate”).
  • Provides a commercial model that can fund ongoing maintenance and animation‑optimization for high‑refresh‑rate displays.

[WinPin Open Source]

Summary

  • An open‑source background daemon that “pins” windows to specific macOS spaces, preventing them from being automatically moved when spaces are rearranged.
  • Enables fast O(1 switching between pinned spaces via global hotkeys, similar to the workflow described by power‑users.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Advanced macOS users, developers, and teams needing stable window‑to‑space mappings for workflow consistency
Core Feature Automatic window‑to‑space pinning, per‑app pinning rules, global hotkeys to focus any pinned space
Tech Stack Rust (core daemon), Cocoa ( menubar UI), SQLite for rule storage
Difficulty High
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • Builds on the real‑world solution “WinPin” mentioned by a commenter who “built it to solve edge cases” but wants it open‑sourced.
  • Addresses the pain point of “spaces move windows automatically” and the request for “deterministic window placement”.
  • Being open source eliminates the “cannot purchase key” concern and can be adopted by the community for free.

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