I think I have not used the desktop for like a decade. There's always something full screen in the foreground and it would take forever to minimize and maximise every window to what it was before. Most apps I search or have pinned to start tiles. Anyone else?

[–] sfgifz@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Win+D minimizes everything to show the desktop. Press Win+D again to go back to your apps as they were before.

[–] player2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Is there something like this on macos?

[–] kibiz0r@midwest.social 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

For keyboard: Mine is set to F11, but Idk if that's standard or something I configured. You can check your binding here: System Preferences => Keyboard => Shortcuts => Mission Control => Show Desktop

But I find that the more intuitive and satisfying experience is using the trackpad, where the default gesture is to spread all of your fingers apart to show the desktop, and then you can pinch them back together to restore your previous window.

[–] player2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 10 months ago

Thanks for the help, I'm new to macOS, using it for work now. F11 is a volume key on macbook which I use frequently but fn+F11 does minimize to desktop, so that's good to know although not ergonomic.

I usually end up using the track pad gestures too, and they work well in laptop mode but since my MacBook is usually docked on my desk and I'm using a BT keyboard/mouse it's annoying having to take my hands off the keyboard and look up every time.

I'm frustrated that I can't even alt-tab since it won't select any program that is minimized or has more than 1 window open so I have to use mission control every time and hunt for the right window. I'll give Stage Manager a try in the new update.

[–] lucyka@lemm.ee 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

you can assign an active corner (and other gestures too I think) to that

[–] player2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

I tried active corners but I had to disable them because I was constantly triggering it by accident. Programs always put tools or scroll bars near the corners of the screen, and since I used dual monitors, the corners between the screens caused issues.

I found this online, I will try it later:

Shift-Command-D: Open the desktop folder.

Edit: it doesn't do anything on my MacBook

[–] lucyka@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago

ah, yeah that sounds annoying. I think if it’s a MacBook you can also assign some of the 3 or 4 finger gestures to it

[–] KrokanteBamischijf@feddit.nl 2 points 10 months ago

This is the way. It also forces you to organise files properly instead of periodically shoving several unused shortcuts and downloads into "organize later" folders.

I also have desktop icons disabled so it just shows a clean minimal wallpaper.

I absolutely love showing the normies my full no desktop icons, "never combine/show labels", small taskbar icons, Powertoys Fancyzones, virtual desktops, alt-space to launch literally anything experience. Blows their minds.

The future is now, my friends. Learn how your tools work.

[–] Asswaterpirate@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

The bottom right corner (assuming your taskbar is at the bottom) has a small button that minimizes everything, at least on Win10. I just swipe my mouse to the bottom right and click if I need the desktop. Clicking it again brings it all up again.

[–] H2207@lemmy.world 19 points 10 months ago

Do it on Linux with a pixel art icon pack.

[–] ares35@kbin.social 14 points 10 months ago

and then windows BSODs, and upon reboot, resets the desktop icon positions.

[–] ramble81@lemm.ee 13 points 10 months ago

Microsoft tried this in the mid 90s with Bob

[–] yetAnotherUser@feddit.de 11 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Enough positivity in this thread, time for some ~negativity~

Why is there Microsoft Access and Microsoft Publisher on the desktop? Nobody uses either program for personal use cases.
Microsoft Edge AND Google Chrome? Isn't one Chromium browser enough you greedy little browser hogger?
Why is the .exe file of DaVinci Resolve next to the desktop shortcut pointing to it? What even
Empty your damn recycle bin >:(
Why is there a folder named "Windows Shortcut"? That name doesn't tell you anything, you might as well name all folders "Folder1", " Folder2" etc
If you zoom in you can see inconsistent gap sizes between the icons. Aaaaa

conclusion: 4/10 horrible desktop go fix it now

[–] filcuk@lemmy.zip 9 points 10 months ago

Man, this reminds me of the 3D interactive desktops that we thought were revolutionary as kids. Some even had physics later on!
These days, if I see my desktop, Windows just forced a restart, or something else has gone wrong.

[–] disposabletentacle@kbin.social 7 points 10 months ago

Hmm. Putting your "My Folder" right there on the desktop for everyone to see. A brave choice...

[–] pkill@programming.dev 6 points 10 months ago

Well, that's the first time in a while I saw someone putting desktop icons to good use

[–] TheCoolerMia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 10 months ago

That looks so cool! :O If you could make the taskbar look like Minecraf's hotbar it would be perfect LOL

[–] kosttek@szmer.info 4 points 10 months ago

That bin in corner. Marvelous.

[–] celeste@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 10 months ago

Why does this make me cry?

[–] wreckedcarzz@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

"she's a [file] maniac, [file] maniac on the floor"