Power Windows 2.x

Shared by: MR
On: 2014-04-14 23:03:35
Updated by: MR
On: 2023-12-23 12:24:17
Other contributors: InkBlot , that-ben
Rating: 9.50 Clarus out of 10 (2 votes)
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  • Power Windows Control Panel 

What is Power Windows 2.x?

Power Windows is a small control panel that lets you tap into your Mac's unused processor power to perform amazingly cool effects with windows and menus (so I guess I should really call it “Power Windows and Menus”, or maybe “Greg’s Power Stuff”). The primary function of Power Windows is to let you drag the entire contents of windows instead of just a dotted outline. The control panel lets you choose between Solid Dragging and Translucent Dragging, and you can even Use Multitasking with solid dragging. Power Windows can also make Finder Windows Fade Open and Closed and Menus Fade Closed, as well as offering Translucent Menus. While this is not exactly a productivity application, you might be able to convince yourself that multitasking during drags and being able to see what’s behind menus is sort of useful. But most importantly, Power Windows is just plain fun, and it’s great for impressing your friends and coworkers.

For solid dragging, you can set the Screen Update Frequency, which controls how often Power Windows redraws the parts of the screen you cover and uncover when moving the window. The Immediate setting updates the screen each time the window moves, which gives the best results, but requires a fast machine. For slower machines, use one of the intermediate settings. If you want the smoothest possible dragging and do not mind the “giant eraser” effect, use the At End setting, which does not update the screen until you release the mouse. The Use Multitasking option lets background applications redraw windows that were initially covered by the window you are dragging. Without multitasking, Power Windows can redraw only what was already visible when you started dragging. Multitasking requires a fast machine and works best with the Screen Update Frequency set to Immediate. Please note that even with multitasking enabled, the frontmost application cannot update its own windows until after your release the mouse.

For translucent dragging, you can set the Level of Transparency to anything from Solid to Invisible (for Zen dragging without any visual feedback). For large windows, translucent dragging can be very slow, so Power Windows drags only the border instead of the entire window. Use the Switch to Border Dragging slider to set the window size threshold where Power Windows makes this transition. The Always setting always drags only the window border, while the Never setting always drags the entire window. What setting you choose depends on your Mac's speed and your own tolerance for choppy dragging.

When the Finder Windows Fade Open and Closed box is checked, instead of using the usual zoom rectangle animation, your Finder windows gradually fade in and out when you open and close them. This fading effect takes about as long as the zoom rectangles do, but it is much, much cooler. When Finder window fading is turned on, Power Windows automatically switches off the zoom rectangles, since the window fading effect is designed to replace the zoom rectangles, not supplement them. Note that Finder window fading works only with Mac OS 8 and higher, and this check box is disabled under System 7.

The Menus Fade Closed option works similar magic for menus, which gradually fade out when closing, rather than abruptly disappearing. Getting menus to fade open is much more complicated, but I might attempt that in a future version.

Landweber, Gregory. (May 2000). Read Me. Electronic Document.


Download Power Windows 2.x for Mac

(81.14 KiB / 83.09 KB)
System 7.0 - 7.6 - Mac OS 9 / compressed w/ Stuffit
208 / 2014-04-14 / 4b4d79ea1ef011627be7eca5f3eaf27b70bc169c / /
(92.78 KiB / 95.01 KB)
/ BinHex'd, use Stuffit Expander
18 / 2015-08-11 / 5aeb972475ef304e82e167b9ad6cef4e65e3782d / /
(75.98 KiB / 77.81 KB)
/ BinHex'd, use Stuffit Expander
1 / 2023-12-23 / 4e2431364653f36028449e94f6a0f56bfda8c7ad / /


Architecture


68K + PPC (FAT)



System Requirements

From Mac OS 7.0





Compatibility notes

Minimum Requirements

  • MC68020 processor
  • System 7.0


Emulating this? It could probably run under: SheepShaver





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