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Ok, so you have 10 browser windows with 7 tabs each, some of which are minimized and some not. You are logged into Gmail two or three times for personal and work purposes with different Google Voice numbers associated with each.

You hear a ringing sound and realize someone is calling.

What are your tips for coping with this situation and finding/getting to the call before it goes away?

Note that this is on a Mac, so it is the Google Talk plugin and the labs edition isn't available.

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3 Answers

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Instead of using the browser to log into Gmail I just use 'fluid'. This program creates an app of anything online like your Gmail.

This way you avoid having multiple tabs for your Gmail. You just have one program like any other app. People use this all for all sorts of things (facebook, twitter, homepage, ...)

Check out: http://fluidapp.com/ (it's the best thing that happened to my mac in the last month!)

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Very interesting, thank you. It seems that one source of value this provides is that Cmd-Tab will show your app so you don't have to paw through a ton of identical-looking windows. I use manytricks.com/witch and if the bug in Lion that makes is unreliable to find all windows were fixed, you could sort of get this effect just by putting the Gmail client in a separate window albeit with identical identifying icons... – Traveler Feb 27 '12 at 0:41
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I use Firefox. I'm not sure if the keys are the same on MacOS, but on Linux, Alt-[1 through 8] switch you to the first 8 tabs, and Alt-9 switches you to the last tab. For something like gvoice that you want quick access to, put it on of those first 8 tabs. (Ctrl-PgUp/PgDown let you go up and down a tab, respectively.) This is obviously a lot harder to do with multiple windows each with multiple tabs. Also, when your pointer is hovering over the tabs, your vertical mouse wheel will scroll through the tabs without changing them.

I learned a few of these tricks from http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/15-coolest-firefox-tricks-ever.html - I don't know how many of them carry over between different browsers and/or platforms. I'm sure there are other awesome tricks pages like this for yours if it isn't Firefox!

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Thank you for your suggestion. I also use Firefox (mostly) but as you point out, many windows and many tabs makes it hard to find. – Traveler Feb 27 '12 at 0:45
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I'm going to document my workaround but I won't accept it as the answer. I just want to mention what I've been using.

My awful hack is to open a second type of browser that I use strictly for Gmail(s).

As with the comment about "Fluid App" above, this gives a single application that can be selected with Cmd-Tab that has only one window with several tabs.

Not a great solution and "Fluid App" would be another way.

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