Maximize application windows?

[One Sick Puppy]

How do you maximize an application window on a Mac, like you would on a PC using the maximize button? I find the yellow and blue buttons to merely adjust the size between the two settings that I manually set, which is a pain in the arse. Is there no hot key or something to make an application use all of the available space without going fullscreen (and thus hiding usefull buttons)?

 

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Hold down the "option" key (or the "alt" key, whichever you prefer) and click the green maximize button.

If the programmer has coded the application according to Apple's HID (Human Interface Design) guidelines, as all application programmers should, the window should scale to fill the screen, or scale to its maximum dimensions. If it doesn't work, send feedback to the designer and ask them to please adhere to the HID guidelines. It's just bad programming to take an element of an interface designed for one action and make it do something else.

I don't see any blue buttons at the top of the windows in any of my applications -- did you mean the green button?

 

[One Sick Puppy]

Yeah, green button, that's the one. I'm finding myself hating and loving my Mac the same time; trying to accept it's limitations while appreciating the advantages over a pc.

Thanks for the help! I'll try that when I get home.

 

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Hehe... well, once you unlearn the incorrect way of using a computer (cough, cough... Windows!) and you learn the correct way (cough, snort... Mac!) then it all becomes painfully clear.

I think you'll soon find that what you perceive as limitations are actually not... what limitations are you talking about? Perhaps there's a better way of doing what you're trying to do, and someone here could help (most people here are extremely helpful, even for those trying to understand what pros would consider simple concepts), and we always love it when someone tries a Macintosh for themselves instead of listening to what most Windows users would say about them.

At any rate, I hope that solves your dilemma and let us know the results!

 

[One Sick Puppy]

Well, I tried what u suggested: alt+green button, but it doesn't do what I want it to do in:

Word:mac (the latest one)
Firefox

It does expand and shrink the window, but not fully to the edge of the screen - bottom, left and right, and to the application bar at the top - thus maximizing completely. In fact, I didn't find any difference between pressing the green button with the option/alt key held down or not. :/


Re: windows vs. mac:
Things like this are incredibly simple in windows - and are not color coded, but have symbolic icons that indicate what they do (small box = minimize; large box = maximize). Another thing that irritates me about mac is that windows gives a user far more control over the mouse, i.e. sensitivity vs. speed. And, the Dock options are way too limited, too. Can't put it into a corner? Can't integrate it with the application bar at the top? Can't customize how the time/date is displayed but for analog or digital (would be nice to have the date displayed). Granted, most of my criticisms might seem Windows-centric, but I get the impression that Apple is keeping itself distinct from Windows at the expensive of fundamental functionality/useability, because some of these things, unless I'm not finding these options, could not possibly have simply been overlooked.
On the good side, I like the modular approach to managing programs, and this little iBook seems far better hardware-wize, than any comperable PC, even one's twice as expensive.

 

[One Sick Puppy]

Argh... now I'm getting frustrated...

Is there no shortcut to put the computer to sleep? I notice the keyboard option shortcuts are extremely limited. The only customization allowed seems to be to change the keys, not what fuctions they do. There's only about 20 hotkeys in the list! If things weren't bad enough with just one mouse button, they couldn't include more hotkeys?

I feel like I'm getting ranty in my frustration. Maybe I'm just tired. I'm sure glad I only need this comp to type notes. :|

 

[azrad]

ehehe... hi OSPuppy...

i see you have so much to complain about the Mac.

Things like this are incredibly simple in windows - and are not color coded, but have symbolic icons that indicate what they do (small box = minimize; large box = maximize).

as for your maximize/minimize problem. i kind a like wat apple did. here's a senarios. im opening a web page that set it width to 800 (max). and im having apple new 30-inch display. on a pc, the web page would maximise the size to occupy the whole display, but on mac, it will only maximise the max width to the width of the web page size, which to me is nice.

Another thing that irritates me about mac is that windows gives a user far more control over the mouse, i.e. sensitivity vs. speed.

get urself a `logitech` mouse with 2 button mouse and a wheel and tell me what u can do on pc that u can't do on a mac. `sensitivity vs. speed` -> isn't this include in the `Preferences` ?

And, the Dock options are way too limited, too. Can't put it into a corner? Can't integrate it with the application bar at the top?

i think you set the Dock to be docking on left - right - bottom. (im on a pc, can't show u how). or u can even hide the Dock if you so frustrated about having it on your desktop. Can you explain to me `intergrate it with the application bar` ?. Does on a pc you can do that? show me.

Can't customize how the time/date is displayed but for analog or digital (would be nice to have the date displayed).

hmm... really? not sure about this. again, you can try to look into the `Preferences` section.

best of luck

 

[adambyte]

Argh... now I'm getting frustrated...

Is there no shortcut to put the computer to sleep? ...|

Press the Power Key on your iBook. (The round one with the "I" in the "O" symbol.) It will bring up a dialogue box asking whether you want to restart, sleep, cancel, or shut down. From there, simply press the R key, S key, Command-Period, or Return keys, respectively.