Window management on a small MacBook screen

A laptop screen is where window juggling hurts most. Two windows side by side on a 13 inch display are each narrower than a phone held sideways is wide in practice, and a third one is impossible.

What usually happens

Most people go full screen on everything and swipe between Spaces, or keep windows maximised and use ⌘ Tab. Both work, but you lose sight of what is next to what, and switching back and forth costs more than it should.

Why a strip suits a laptop

On a strip, each window can be as wide as it needs to be, often the whole screen, and the next window is one swipe away, always in the same place. You get full size windows without losing the order of things.

1. Set most windows to two thirds or full width with ⌃ ⌥ R or ⌃ ⌥ F.
2. Stack small ones like chat and music in one column with ⌃ ⌥ ].
3. Hold ⌃ ⌥ and scroll sideways with two fingers to move along the strip.

When you plug into a bigger display, that display gets its own strip, and your laptop's layout is still there when you unplug.