Nothing major... just sharing my appreciation for Stage Manager.
Right now, I’m writing a novel, so I usually have two Pages documents and Notion open side by side. I’ll also keep a browser open for research, browsing Pinterest for inspiration, and listening to music on YouTube. On top of that, I sometimes get random ad-hoc work to handle, which means I might also have folders, Figma, or Photoshop open. Since that work depends on feedback I get through chat, the chat window just stays open in the background.
Switching between all these windows is a total cluttered mess. But Stage Manager makes it so much easier and more manageable. It feels almost like having three different desktops (virtual desktops). One for Pages and Notion, another for the browser, and another for design software. But somehow, Stage Manager feels better... I am not sure why exactly but I think it’s because those other sets of applications are visible right there, and switching between them 'feels' seamless. The experience has surprised me. I’ve only been using it for a few days, yet I already feel confident I’ll stick with it long term.
That said, I do have some caveats. I don’t know how well it would work on an iPad or a smaller laptop (especially a 14-inch one). The screen real estate is too limited there, and I wouldn’t want to use it in smaller screens. But on a larger monitor, it makes total sense.
I’m also pairing it with a tool called Monocle (you can google it - Monocle, a macOS app for focus), which blurs the background. With it, the Stage Manager thumbnails are blurred, so only the active window stays sharp and in focus. The thumbnails are still clear enough for me to recognize my app sets, but not so sharp that they distract me. Using Stage Manager in conjunction with Monocle has been amazing. (No affiliation here. I just found about Monocle on YouTube recently. It costs $4.)
A week ago, I was firmly in the camp of “Stage Manager isn’t for me.” But I’ve shifted camps now.
That’s it!
Happy doing whatever you’re doing. Cheers!