- A Microsoft executive has created a small utility for Windows 11
- The app is called PeekDesktop and it allows you to minimize all windows by clicking on an empty part of the desktop.
- It’s very similar to a macOS feature, and while there are already keyboard shortcuts in Windows 11 to do this, it’s more convenient and useful for Mac deserters.
A Microsoft executive has created a small utility that brings some great functionality to Windows 11, and it’s something macOS users will be familiar with.
Windows Latest reports that Scott Hanselman, vice president, member of Microsoft’s technical staff and one of the actors behind the Windows 11 repair campaign, has created a tool called PeekDesktop.
It’s a very simple app that allows you to “click on your desktop to view it,” working in the same way as the “click on wallpaper to reveal desktop” feature seen with macOS Sonoma.
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The point is that it’s a quick way to minimize all your open windows, especially if you have many, and be able to see the desktop underneath, simply by clicking on a blank part of the desktop (the wallpaper, rather than any icon). Click again (on a blank spot) and the active windows are reset.
While it sounds very simple, almost to the point of being too basic, I can guarantee you that this is one of those shortcuts that will become indispensable once you get used to using it.
And if you’re worried about the resource usage involved here, don’t be, as PeekDesktop uses less than 2 MB when it sits in the system tray (on the taskbar) watching your clicks.
It’s worth noting that there is also a version for Arm-based laptops (Snapdragon X), as well as PCs with AMD and Intel CPUs.
Analysis: comforting clicks
Of course, this capability is already in Windows 11. You can press the button Windows key + D to minimize all windows and directly access the desktop. (EITHER Windows key + Malthough that cannot be used to restore active windows by pressing it again). Or you can even bind this feature to one of your mouse’s spare buttons, if you have a mouse with many, like I do (I use this power a lot).
However, having the ability to click on the desktop is a more convenient way to do this than a keyboard shortcut that involves pressing two keys. In fact, I can’t believe this is a feature that hasn’t been built in before, because it’s surely not difficult to implement and is a useful piece to perfect an already existing power in Windows 11.
As noted, it’s already a thing in macOS, and what’s interesting is that when asked about the feature in
I wonder if this capability could be something that works for Windows 11 in the future and, more specifically, if Microsoft is considering the Mac as a more serious rival these days. Mainly because macOS has definitely become a bigger threat to Windows 11, at least in the laptop world, with the launch of Apple’s newest budget-oriented laptop.
This is, of course, the MacBook Neo, which has been very well received by critics and consumers alike, which should worry Microsoft. Especially when the company has had to raise prices a lot across its Surface range, making these devices look much less tempting even compared to Apple’s MacBooks outside of the much more affordable Neo.
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