HyperDock for Mac OS X Preview (Aero Peek Equivalent)
There aren’t many features that I miss from Windows when I’m using Mac OS X throughout the day, but after using Windows 7 for over a year now (I know, I was shocked too; how quick did THAT go by?) I’ve become accustomed to utilising the new Aero features available for window management, such as Aero Snap and Aero Peek.
Seeing as we can already have an Aero Snap-like application for OS X in the form of Cinch, it only makes sense that some clever developer can deliver Aero Peek. That developer is called Christian Baumgart, a Computer Science student in Germany, and this is HyperDock!
I was lucky enough to be able to ask Christian a few questions about the development of HyperDock, and why he decided to develop it. After switching from Linux to Mac OS X, Christian wasn’t a fan of the way OS X handled windows within the operating system; I guess that’s due to the fact that we aren’t using “Windows”, although window management in OS X could do with a little improvement.
Like any good programmer, he decided to find a solution to this problem, and “hacked together a window manager, and thought it would be cool to see those windows in the dock”. This led on to what is now HyperDock for Mac, and following a lot of feedback from the Mac community, we’re seeing plenty of improvements to HyperDock through regular updates.
When you’re using the application, you don’t notice that it’s even there until you need it, which as far as I’m concerned is the sign of a very well developed piece of software. Whenever you hover over an icon on the dock, you are given a preview of the windows that are open within that application.
If you then hover over the preview of the window with your cursor, you will be given a full size preview of the window on top of the current window that you are using, with slight transparency so you can still see through it, which is a nice piece of eye candy.
If you are a big fan of Spaces on OS X, then you will feel right at home here; each window preview includes the space number which it occupies overlaid on the image, so you know if you’re going to be moving from one space to another, or if the application is currently hidden or not, in which case, a no-entry style icon will be used to indicate that it isn’t currently being shown.
What’s even more impressive is that you can control programs such as iTunes directly from the preview window, skipping to the next and previous tracks, as well as pausing the current one.
Not only is HyperDock executed incredibly well, but it immediately increased my productivity when using Mac OS X, allowing me to switch windows and preview open applications without having to switch directly to them. It’s hard to forget that this program is currently in Beta, as it looks incredibly polished, and not at all like something that has been hacked together.
Whilst in Beta, HyperDock is free to download, although it may cost a small amount once it leaves Beta. When I asked the developer, he suggested that the price may be in the region of $10, similar to that of Cinch, and worth every cent.
Many thanks to Christian Baumgart for taking the time to talk to us, it’s much appreciated!
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