Is There a Solution for Focus-Hungry Apps?

V.Toulias asks: "Over the past few years, I have seen a rise in the percentage of applications installed in my Windows box that do not ask nicely for my attention but force themselves into view when they think they have something important to tell me. Mail clients that pop-up into view when a new email is sent or received, instant messengers that pop up when a new message arrives, browser pop-ups that... pop-up even though the page is loading in a 'background window', informational OS messages, It-seems-that-you're-writing-a-letter app helpers, security warnings and the list goes on. It doesn't take a science study to realize the adverse effects that this phenomenon is causing on your productivity and concentration. So, apart from the obvious suggestion of switching OS, is there any other solution to this disturbing trend?"

Comments

Terminal-Based Applications

[hahafaha]

If you have a Linux box either with X or without to connect to, then do it (install X on the Windows box first, if necessary). X programs tend to work much nicer.

Or, just don't use X at all. Install a program like screen to manage terminal applications, and then use them instead.

You can also install Cygwin and use it. There are replacements for nearly everything.

mutt/pine for email
lynx/w3m for web
emacs/vim for editing
etc.

Much nicer and faster, in my opinion.

Re:SetFocus(), oh how I hate thee.

[Spy der Mann]

Yeah, we've all heard about those "sorry, wrong window" problems. Curse them!