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Move Window Buttons to the Left with Leftsider
Posted by Kevin Purdy at 2:30 AM on November 28, 2007
Windows Vista only: Make your Vista windows feel a bit more Mac-like with Leftsider, a small application that moves the close, minimise, and resize icons to the upper left corners of windows. Leftsider runs from an icon in the taskbar that lets you switch the left-alignment on and off, and since the program doesn't touch your registry or system files, it's up to you whether to put Leftsider in your "Startup" folder or delete it entirely. For those dual-system users who find their mouse muscles occasionally confused, Leftsider is a no-hassle fix. Leftsider is a free download for Windows Vista (32 and 64-bit) only.
Tags: downloads | featured windows download | window management | windows | windows explorer | windows vista beta
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
dekay46
Posted 3:41 PM 27/11/07
@Adam B.: Completely the best way to do it. As an added bonus, if you keep your windows maximized like I do, you can crash the mouse into the upper left corner and kick Fitts' Law in the butt.
dekay46
invid
Posted 2:23 PM 27/11/07
I would have to second Kenposan's question. Seems like an interesting thing to add to your list of running apps for what seems to be no major reason. Why not just go all the way and start running shells etc and fully skin windohs while you're at it?
invid
kenposan
Posted 1:35 PM 27/11/07
Is there a real need for this, or is just a way for mac fanboy wannabe's to "macify" windows?
kenposan
wffurr
Posted 1:19 PM 27/11/07
I'm with BackdoorAngel. I'd rather "fix" OS X instead. Any suggestions?
wffurr
radink
Posted 12:58 PM 27/11/07
Verified.. Working on XP.. but it's wierd!
radink
radink
Posted 12:57 PM 27/11/07
It works on XP. The site even says so.
radink
an8kid
Posted 12:27 PM 27/11/07
does anyone know a alternative for XP?
an8kid
Adam B.
Posted 12:20 PM 27/11/07
I've grown accustomed to closing any open window or program in Windows by double clicking the icon in the upper left hand corner (it's in the same place in Vista, except there is no icon).
It's simple, easy, an no 3rd party programs needed.
Adam B.
Webran61
Posted 11:52 AM 27/11/07
Works perfectly in Vista on Firefox, Calculator, Notepad and Pidgin...even Sound Recorder and Sidebar Gadgets window.
Webran61
BackDoorAngel
Posted 11:05 AM 27/11/07
anyone know if there's a "rightsider" or similar app for mac?
BackDoorAngel
Zundfolge
Posted 10:48 AM 27/11/07
@Zundfolge:
However it only seems to work in Explorer windows ... I currently have the following open and its not working in any of them; Firefox, Thunderbird, Pidgin, Adobe InDesign CS2, calculator and Notepad.
Zundfolge
Zundfolge
Posted 10:45 AM 27/11/07
This thing works on XP too. :)
Zundfolge
Swizzler121
Posted 3:59 PM 27/11/07
Do they also have something like this for mac? it would be nice for my mouse muscles to work that way to.
Swizzler121
Zundfolge
Posted 5:11 PM 27/11/07
@kenposan:
I use a windows machine at work and a Mac at home, I've "mackified" my windows machine as much as I can because that way I don't have to adjust to as many of the differences (I even remapped the ctrl, alt and windows machines on the left side of the keyboard so that alt is ctrl and ctrl and windows are alt because I was always hitting alt when I meant ctrl).
Don't assume "fanboyism" when there are legitimate reasons.
Zundfolge
-emory-
Posted 6:49 PM 27/11/07
oorr.... get linux and emerald :-D My buttons can be anywhere or nowhere! My favorite theme right now has no buttons, just a semi-transparent white border, really elegant. Seriously, the whole Mac-fanbois vs W$-fanbois just doesn't really hold up to linux. (Microsoft you have us on games, i'll give you that)
"Oh I can make my desktop look like this"
"Yeah well I can do this!"
>.>
<,<
*Compiz*
Looks like linux wins again
-emory-
anairdA
Posted 7:29 PM 27/11/07
If you put aside the notion to "macify" your windows. You could see the usefulness of this, for left handed people ... duh.
anairdA
minus19
Posted 11:32 PM 27/11/07
Wow, it's amazing what people can do with computers theses days...
:P
minus19
an8kid
Posted 1:47 AM 28/11/07
It works for XP, but only in explorer... boring...
anyone know a version that will work for all Xp progs... I have been looking for somethings like this for ages.... My XP is skinned to look like a mac, cursers, dock, start bar at top, wallpaper, icons, theme... all i need is the left thing.....
or alternatively i could buy a mac...
an8kid
NineTailedFox
Posted 11:05 PM 28/11/07
I did set up the XP on my Boot Camp partition to look as much like OSX as possible, for the sake of consistency; but actually, when you see them almost side-by-side, the differences are pretty jarring, so I went back to Royale XP. Don't find position of window controls to be a problem; I guess my brain just knows to go left on a graphite titlebar and right on a blue one. That said, I rarely use those buttons on OSX anyway; if I'm closing a window, I generally want to close the app as well, the maximise button DOESN'T DO ANYTHING USEFUL (snarl), and minimising is more easily done by double clicking anywhere on the titlebar.
Might put bblean with SysBarEx onto that XP, actually. Now THAT is an interface. Wish I could have it in OSX.
NineTailedFox