IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Resizing windows on macOS Tahoe – the saga continues

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

Top 5 themes from the discussion

# Theme Key points & representative quotes
1 Mac window‑management feels clunky and incomplete “I laugh at how horrendous such a simple thing as resizing windows is.” – xvxvx
“The behavior of the (now option‑clicked) zoom button is actually determined by each individual program.” – ndiddy
“The weird thing is that the resize cursor is only shown for foreground windows – but background windows are still resizable.” – swiftcoder
2 Third‑party tools are the only practical fix “I’m actually agreeing with you. You shouldn’t have to resort to third‑party apps.” – FireBeyond
“Rectangle Pro for the win.” – jasondigitized
“I use Yabai, which is pretty good – and you don’t have to completely disable SIP.” – bwoodward
3 Apple’s design choices (rounded corners, hit‑box shrinkage, dock behaviour) are a pain point “The change was reverted because it broke some NSWindow styles.” – pdhborges
“The dock appears on either the left/rightmost display… it moves randomly.” – sheept
“The corner resize should take up way more of the sides of the window.” – tlhunter
4 Hardware cost & compatibility frustrations “Having to buy a huge $200+ display adapter so you can connect 2 external monitors to a MacBook… is total bullshit.” – xvxvx
“I’m forced to use a $200+ adapter while a $30 device does the same for Windows laptops.” – xvxvx
“I have to buy a $200+ adapter to connect 2 external monitors to a MacBook.” – xvxvx
5 Mac vs Windows vs Linux – a broader usability debate “Windows is very far from a ‘it just works’ OS.” – paranoidxprod
“I’m a Linux user, but I still use macOS for work.” – paranoidxprod
“Linux is ready for prime time for anyone not bound to Windows/MacOS software.” – virgil_disgr4ce
“I think the best and only good way of handling window move and resize is super+LMB/RMB respectively.” – ivanjermakov

These five themes capture the bulk of the discussion: frustration with macOS window handling, reliance on third‑party utilities, criticism of Apple’s UI decisions, hardware‑cost concerns, and the ongoing comparison of macOS with Windows and Linux.

🚀 Project Ideas

Unified Window Management Toolkit

Summary

  • Provides native macOS window snapping, tiling, thirds, and grid layouts without third‑party apps.
  • Adds customizable hit‑box size for edges and corners, multi‑monitor support, and dock placement control.
  • Integrates keyboard shortcuts, mouse gestures, and a system‑preferences panel for easy configuration.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Power users, developers, designers who need efficient window management on macOS
Core Feature Advanced snapping, tiling, and customizable window resizing with mouse/keyboard
Tech Stack Swift, AppKit, Accessibility APIs, SwiftUI for preferences
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue‑ready: $4.99/month or $49/year

Notes

  • HN commenters lament “no auto‑snap” and “hard to resize with mouse” (e.g., “I’m forced to buy a $200+ adapter”).
  • A native solution would eliminate the need for Rectangle, Moom, or Yabai, addressing the “third‑party dependency” frustration.

Screenshot Workflow Optimizer

Summary

  • Replaces macOS’s default screenshot flow with instant file saving, optional auto‑edit (redaction, annotation), and quick share.
  • Allows user‑defined save location, thumbnail behavior, and clipboard‑only mode.
  • Provides a one‑click “open in editor” and integration with popular tools (Preview, Photoshop, Marked).

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Professionals, designers, developers who take frequent screenshots
Core Feature Customizable screenshot capture, editing, and sharing workflow
Tech Stack Swift, AVFoundation, CoreImage, AppKit, CloudKit for sync
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Freemium: free core, $2.99/month for advanced editing features

Notes

  • Users complain about “thumbnail disappears” and “no instant file” (e.g., “I want it on the desktop right away”).
  • A streamlined workflow would reduce the 60‑second delay many HN users experience.

Dual‑Pane File Management Enhancer

Summary

  • Extends Finder with dual‑pane browsing, quick rename, drag‑and‑drop between panes, and keyboard shortcuts.
  • Adds a global search bar and context‑menu actions for common file operations.
  • Improves file transfer speed and reduces mouse clicks for file management tasks.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Mac users who frequently move/rename files (developers, designers, office workers)
Core Feature Dual‑pane Finder extension with keyboard shortcuts
Tech Stack Swift, Finder Sync Extension, AppKit
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • HN users note “moving files between Home and Downloads takes 10 seconds on Windows” (e.g., “open two file browsers, navigate to $home in one and $downloads in the other”).
  • A dual‑pane tool would bring macOS file handling up to par with Windows’ quick file operations.

Multi‑Monitor Configuration Manager

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Mac users with external displays (laptops, dual‑monitor setups)
Core Feature Automatic monitor arrangement, main‑display selection, dock placement, and window‑spanning fixes
Tech Stack Swift, CoreGraphics, IOKit, macOS System Preferences integration
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue‑ready: $3.99/month or $39/year

Notes

  • Users report “dock moves randomly between monitors” and “windows span monitors and can’t be resized” (e.g., “I have to rearrange displays every time”).
  • A dedicated manager would resolve these multi‑monitor frustrations without manual tweaking.

Accessibility‑First Window Resizer

Summary

  • Enables resizing windows via keyboard shortcuts and mouse gestures with adjustable hit‑box size.
  • Adds “snap to grid” and lock‑position features for precise layout control.
  • Works with all macOS windows, including those with rounded corners and custom title bars.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Users who struggle with macOS window resizing (e.g., accessibility needs, designers)
Core Feature Keyboard/mouse‑based window resizing with customizable hit‑box
Tech Stack Swift, Accessibility APIs, AppKit
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • HN comments highlight “hard to hit the 1‑pixel resize area” and “no visual affordance for resizing” (e.g., “I miss the super+right click to resize”).
  • Providing a clear, adjustable resize area would directly address these usability pain points.

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