minimizing windows in Mac OS X
- Thread starter rene
- Start date
The OS9.1 implementation is certainly an improvement - the windows menu has been a feature of Internet Explorer, Photoshop and Illustrator for a while now and is invaluable.
As for Rene's comment, I agree: I think for most work, we will be living in one Finder window - barring file or alias drag-copying. But the single window finder will not solve another major concern which is that doc windows from any app can become interleaved with windows from other apps and the finder... a behaviour you see on the PC. I can foresee this becoming extremely confusing, irrespective of whether you can windowshade or minimise to the dock. What might help is a "doc dock" - a totally seperate dock for documents only. It's not uncommon to have over twenty windows open at once and the dock is not enough in such cases. Do we really have to run a seperate window manager app when such functionality could easily be built into the OS?
Frankly, I would like to hear any suggestions why windows do interleave. If I'm running Photoshop, I generally want to keep all the Pshop windows together. They could potentially get jumbled up with all the other windows. I admit that I haven't used the beta enough in a real-world context to discover if the advantages outweigh the confusion... Anyone think different? Either way, some method of quickly navigating open windows is needed and the dock, as it stands, is not enough - if you can't visually identify the document, you are forced to "scrub" over all the docs until the name of the one you want appears. A solution more akin to the Photoshop Layers pallette would be more appropriate - name AND iconic representation...
On reflection, we may find that windowshade becomes less important - let me explain. We conventionally use WS to "peep" behind an open window. The alternative - dragging the window - is longwinded. First, click on title bar... start to drag (outline of window moves with mouse)... release mouse... window skips to new position... finally revealing window beneath. Now that windows move in realtime, it more closely resembles the action of sliding a piece of paper out of the way. That doesn't mean we shouldn't have the standard window shade action though!
As for Rene's comment, I agree: I think for most work, we will be living in one Finder window - barring file or alias drag-copying. But the single window finder will not solve another major concern which is that doc windows from any app can become interleaved with windows from other apps and the finder... a behaviour you see on the PC. I can foresee this becoming extremely confusing, irrespective of whether you can windowshade or minimise to the dock. What might help is a "doc dock" - a totally seperate dock for documents only. It's not uncommon to have over twenty windows open at once and the dock is not enough in such cases. Do we really have to run a seperate window manager app when such functionality could easily be built into the OS?
Frankly, I would like to hear any suggestions why windows do interleave. If I'm running Photoshop, I generally want to keep all the Pshop windows together. They could potentially get jumbled up with all the other windows. I admit that I haven't used the beta enough in a real-world context to discover if the advantages outweigh the confusion... Anyone think different? Either way, some method of quickly navigating open windows is needed and the dock, as it stands, is not enough - if you can't visually identify the document, you are forced to "scrub" over all the docs until the name of the one you want appears. A solution more akin to the Photoshop Layers pallette would be more appropriate - name AND iconic representation...
On reflection, we may find that windowshade becomes less important - let me explain. We conventionally use WS to "peep" behind an open window. The alternative - dragging the window - is longwinded. First, click on title bar... start to drag (outline of window moves with mouse)... release mouse... window skips to new position... finally revealing window beneath. Now that windows move in realtime, it more closely resembles the action of sliding a piece of paper out of the way. That doesn't mean we shouldn't have the standard window shade action though!
strobe
Puny Member
When working between two documents WindowShade is var better than minimizing. You just double click (which with my 4-button mouse is one click) the title bar and double click it again when you're finished looking.
WindowShade has become less useful since I've stopped using the Desktop (see Tips/Tricks thread on the subject) however the same is true for minimizing. The question is WindowShade vs minimizing. I say WindowShade with title bars only as long as the title is better than minimizing unless you're putting a window away for a long period of time. Now how often is that? Most of my Window Shading is short term, typically not moving the mouse after doing it.
WindowShade has become less useful since I've stopped using the Desktop (see Tips/Tricks thread on the subject) however the same is true for minimizing. The question is WindowShade vs minimizing. I say WindowShade with title bars only as long as the title is better than minimizing unless you're putting a window away for a long period of time. Now how often is that? Most of my Window Shading is short term, typically not moving the mouse after doing it.
Yesterday, I posted a request for the option discussed during the early stages of the forum - that when you click on the minimise button, the window docks but when you double-click the title bar the window simply shades.
Can I add that having used the beta a bit more, I realise that the "Window" menu with its list of open windows is a passable alternative to window shade as it lets you navigate to any window quite quickly - probably faster than windowshade in some circumstances. (Needless to say, if this function also had a hotkey, it would make a useable alternative. But that's for a different forum)
Can I add that having used the beta a bit more, I realise that the "Window" menu with its list of open windows is a passable alternative to window shade as it lets you navigate to any window quite quickly - probably faster than windowshade in some circumstances. (Needless to say, if this function also had a hotkey, it would make a useable alternative. But that's for a different forum)
If OS X is "feature-frozen", does that mean that Apple aren't taking any more feedback?
Or should we continue to post feedback to Apple with a view to influencing further releases? I mean, I've never posted feedback to Apple before but now I've got a taste for it, I'll probably do it every time I think of an improvement they could make.
I'm guessing that version 1 will still be buggy in parts and they'll at least want bug-reporting to come their way. And I doubt for a second that the UI is frozen. Windowshade itself was only introduced after System 7 (I think). So should we just "sit back and chill" as someone said in another forum?
Or should we continue to post feedback to Apple with a view to influencing further releases? I mean, I've never posted feedback to Apple before but now I've got a taste for it, I'll probably do it every time I think of an improvement they could make.
I'm guessing that version 1 will still be buggy in parts and they'll at least want bug-reporting to come their way. And I doubt for a second that the UI is frozen. Windowshade itself was only introduced after System 7 (I think). So should we just "sit back and chill" as someone said in another forum?
>So should we just "sit back and chill" as someone said in another forum?
nope!!!
One of the next things we should suggest on the feedbackpage
is: to keep it open! This could be such a good thing..direct feedback from
diehard customers
And about feature frozen...I think they can always squeeze somethin in.
But we shall see in a short time
I can not wait, to be honest.
bye all.
rene
nope!!!
One of the next things we should suggest on the feedbackpage
is: to keep it open! This could be such a good thing..direct feedback from
diehard customers
And about feature frozen...I think they can always squeeze somethin in.
But we shall see in a short time
I can not wait, to be honest.
bye all.
rene