Dock Or Taskbar?!
- Thread starter ~~NeYo~~
- Start date
hazmat
Rusher of Din
Interesting. I never had that problem. I keep the Dock on the right edge, and when I want a Finder window, I simply look over and click on the topmost icon. I think it's all getting used to a different situation. When I came over to the Mac from Windows, there were a lot of things that really threw me, and have taken a lot of getting used to. Now when I am using Windows, it will take getting used to for the opposite reasons.
dlookus
Disgruntled user
I agree with this completely.
I know it goes against Apple's idea of simplicity, and I know this has been talked aboput before, but I think 2 docks makes sense.
I would have 1 dock for apps. It would be pinned, so that the apps you have as persistent will never move. The dock would just grow as you open apps that aren't persistent.
The other dock would be for volumes and windows/folders. Same Idea. Pinned so the persistent volumes/windows/folders never move. Only minimized windows or new Volumes get added to the end.
I really think this makes sense. The only problem, of course, is screen real estate, but I'm sure that could be dealt with.
What do you think?
dricci
Registered
I keep my dock on the right and turned magnification off, and I never have a problem clicking or draging over to it, I usually don't even have to look since I can get a good idea of the icon from the corner of my eye.
I never had a problem doing this when it was on the bottom with magnification on, either.
The Windows XP and Windows 2000 taskbars (which I've used both) seem like such a toy to me, I mean, only minimized apps can go there? Why!? I want organization, not a bunch of scattered minimized Windows with no way to just access the app directly! Ah well, I guess that goes along with the "Full Screen Way, or No way" attitude Windows developers have.
BTW, the new drag-windows-out-of-dock feature in Jaguar is really nice, I kinda wish they would have left the "throw" feature in to throw icons to the side of the screen. I guess a bunch of Windows-converted-to-mac-developers complained
I never had a problem doing this when it was on the bottom with magnification on, either.
The Windows XP and Windows 2000 taskbars (which I've used both) seem like such a toy to me, I mean, only minimized apps can go there? Why!? I want organization, not a bunch of scattered minimized Windows with no way to just access the app directly! Ah well, I guess that goes along with the "Full Screen Way, or No way" attitude Windows developers have.
BTW, the new drag-windows-out-of-dock feature in Jaguar is really nice, I kinda wish they would have left the "throw" feature in to throw icons to the side of the screen. I guess a bunch of Windows-converted-to-mac-developers complained
nkuvu
Gone
Um, what? Minimized windows only on the taskbar? That's not how it is on Windows.
For example, I am at work (on WinNT, but I assure you that the other flavors of Windows work the same way) using Opera. Look over there, Opera is the second-to-last app listed on the taskbar. It's not minimized, I am typing in it. Here's a screenshot . And Visual SlickEdit is not minimized either, and it's on the taskbar...
Did I misunderstand you?
(p.s. Sorry for the poor quality -- it's still almost 100K)
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nkuvu
Gone
Ahh, I understand now. That's not a problem with the taskbar, it's a problem with the OS metaphor.
Apple has a perpetual menu bar at the top. So an app that doesn't have a window open can still be open, its commands are on the menu. Since Windows doesn't have this reserved space, an app has to have a window open at all times to be able to display its commands. The taskbar does reflect this, since it show all open windows. If Windows had the menu bar, the taskbar wouldn't have to show each open application. Therefore, it's not the fault of the taskbar, but of the OS.
I know, it's a nit to pick, but still...
Apple has a perpetual menu bar at the top. So an app that doesn't have a window open can still be open, its commands are on the menu. Since Windows doesn't have this reserved space, an app has to have a window open at all times to be able to display its commands. The taskbar does reflect this, since it show all open windows. If Windows had the menu bar, the taskbar wouldn't have to show each open application. Therefore, it's not the fault of the taskbar, but of the OS.
I know, it's a nit to pick, but still...
vanguard
Registered
I like the dock better. It's better looking and it does a better job of showing me everything when I have a lot of apps open.
Yeah, the dock gets knocked for taking a lot of room but in windows i have to make it three rows high to properly display all the apps I have open.
One area where the mac doesn't do as well is the alt-tab/command-tab. In windows, it cycles through based on how recently I used the apps. On the mac, it cycles through in the order I have them in the dock.
For me, the windows way is much better. Most of the time I want to switch back and forth between apps. Apple doesn't provice a nice way to do this from the keyboard (that I know of).
Anyway, to me switching between apps seemed dock related. Hopefully this isn't off-topic.
Yeah, the dock gets knocked for taking a lot of room but in windows i have to make it three rows high to properly display all the apps I have open.
One area where the mac doesn't do as well is the alt-tab/command-tab. In windows, it cycles through based on how recently I used the apps. On the mac, it cycles through in the order I have them in the dock.
For me, the windows way is much better. Most of the time I want to switch back and forth between apps. Apple doesn't provice a nice way to do this from the keyboard (that I know of).
Anyway, to me switching between apps seemed dock related. Hopefully this isn't off-topic.
celeborn
Usability & WordPress fan
After a while of using OS X I started to dislike the lack of organisation the dock offers. So, currently I use DragThing (marvelous app with lots of other great features too) to keep my favorite apps and I only use the Dock for showing active apps and a link to my partitions and my Downloads folder. I also use ASM to hide the dock automatically in certain apps as my 1024x768 screen can get pretty crowded sometimes.
The great thing about DragThing is also the fact that it doesn't float obtrusively over everything else, but comes instantly to the top when I move the mouse to a specified "hotspot" corner.
The great thing about DragThing is also the fact that it doesn't float obtrusively over everything else, but comes instantly to the top when I move the mouse to a specified "hotspot" corner.
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I also hardly ever minimize windows on OS X. The only place where I actually do is Photoshop. When I'm working on two projects at the same time, each with two Photoshop documents (so a total of 4 open windows). Then I minimize the two windows of one project to solely work on the two others of the other project. (Hmm... It *sounds* complicated, but is easy, really.)
hazmat
Rusher of Din
fryke: That's a good idea, actually. I use WindowShade X to hide with the minimize button. Since you can do it also on a per-app basis, I made Photoshop minimize to the Dock. We'll see how that works.
dlookus: A preference would be awesome. I would rather be able to made individual windows hide rather than the whole app, but I find it better overall hiding than minimizing to the Dock.
dlookus: A preference would be awesome. I would rather be able to made individual windows hide rather than the whole app, but I find it better overall hiding than minimizing to the Dock.
Originally posted by RyanLang
AHHAHAHa, that grass dock that neyo poseted was mine! man that seems like a while ago. I changed the finder face to an apple!? aww i like the orginal look way better now
haha! Nice man, i love it, its So Different!!!
I've Got something, thanks 2 a Friend of mine, amd it looks Pretty Good, but i'm trying to get it, more "dynamic", and this instance, i'm customizing it, to Do email Checking, and Work, simply in the same way Mail.app works in the Dock!
what i am After At the moment, is a 128*128 TIFF, of Mail.app with an Email Notification! That'd be GREAT!!
...Here's How thing Look At this Stage...
NeYo
deagle five o
Registered
for the most part this thread is showing the pure ignorance that mac users go thru. MS SUCKS, AND THATS THAT.
Please no flaming, Im as much as a mac advocate as all of you. The problem is that most mac users blindly follow whatever the company says, pretty much like clones.
The truth is that the taskbar , while not beeing as pretty as the dock, does have more functionality. it is more compact, more flexible with menus and tasks, as well as integrated options. The taskbar is hands down better. HOWEVER , MS has had the luxury of fine tunning the Taskbar for the past 7 years, while the dock is a relatively new thing to Apple. Apple needs to find a way to take out the menu bar and integrate it into the dock ( I'll do some photoshop to illustrate what Im talking about. ) this will also help window users cross the line.
How you ask?
Easy. The number one reason that the PC users find macs to be so difficult is because the desktop , although similiar in someways, it highly differs from the explorer shell of windows. Starting with the tastbar.
Even adding something as simple as a contextual menu to the dock "finder" icon, would make a big diffrence, in my eyes.
Please no flaming, Im as much as a mac advocate as all of you. The problem is that most mac users blindly follow whatever the company says, pretty much like clones.
The truth is that the taskbar , while not beeing as pretty as the dock, does have more functionality. it is more compact, more flexible with menus and tasks, as well as integrated options. The taskbar is hands down better. HOWEVER , MS has had the luxury of fine tunning the Taskbar for the past 7 years, while the dock is a relatively new thing to Apple. Apple needs to find a way to take out the menu bar and integrate it into the dock ( I'll do some photoshop to illustrate what Im talking about. ) this will also help window users cross the line.
How you ask?
Easy. The number one reason that the PC users find macs to be so difficult is because the desktop , although similiar in someways, it highly differs from the explorer shell of windows. Starting with the tastbar.
Even adding something as simple as a contextual menu to the dock "finder" icon, would make a big diffrence, in my eyes.
nkuvu
Gone
From the Jargon file:
Unfortunately, I am not a clone. Nor have I found anyone in these fora who would qualify for that insult.
The real truth is that this is an opinion. Which is the purpose of this thread, I believe...
Uh, there is a contextual menu for all Dock items. Heard of control-clicking?
deagle five o
Registered
Dont belittle me. No kinding theres a con-menu. It lists the open windows. Super
. Im talking functionality, and being flexible : IE, Finder options. An application menu. User info & settings. Ect.We boast all this UNIX power, and dont show it.
I know a few things. One of them is that its not how you stand by your car, its how you race your car - fast & the furious. ( not the greatest quote, but suitable )
