<strong>"I don't mean to harp, but why do people seem to complain about the apple menu. The dock is more customizable than the apple menu. I have folders in my dock for apps, in that folder I break it down into folders of types of apps, etc. I also have a folder for my clients, and my network folders. As soon as they let you have spring loaded folders for the dock folders, it will be perfect. I always put my dock on the right, centered and hidden. It's easy to just drag to the side a drop a file on a program or folder.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
I wouldn't mind the dock if I had a large screen. I think it gets in the way of open windows when you use a small screen. I know you can autohide it but then you can't just glance at it to get information, you have to move your mouse to see it so that you can see what is open, etc. I think the dock is cool looking and I like seeing it but just not in the way of app windows.
I'd rather see OS X come with another menu bar at the bottom of the screen that would display small icons of open apps such as taskmenubar does. Since open windows don't cover the top menubar, they also wouldn't cover the bottom menubar. It would be so easy just to glance down at it to see what's open. In addition, if it was set up as taskmenubar is, you could just click once on an icon in the lower menubar to get to that app. Two clicks on an icon selects that app and hides all others.
Plus, it could probably be set up so that the open app icons are displayed in order such as by time opened, amount of memory or cpu used, alphabetically, or by app launch order. It would also be helpful if it displayed the text names of the apps while you moved the cursor over them so that people who cannot see too well can read what apps they are. Maybe Apple could even get it to magnify the icons as the dock does.
Since there would probably be a lot of space left, you could reserve an area for displaying virtual windows (if Apple ever implements them), network activity indicators, stock tickers, etc. Even folders could probably be stored in the extra area.
I like what Apple did with the upper menu bar with the airport display, etc. I think a lower one that is used to display primarily system information would be very useful. It would kind of work like a car dashboard.
I'm not bashing the dock so don't flame me. I actually like the dock but only if I had a large display to use it with.
I think there is a windows shareware program that works similar to what I described. Its called Trayit. If anybody has used it, I'd be interested in what you think.
I think it gets in the way of open windows when you use a small screen. (...)
I'd rather see OS X come with another menu bar at the bottom of the screen that would display small icons of open apps such as taskmenubar does. Since open windows don't cover the top menubar, they also wouldn't cover the bottom menubar. </strong><hr></blockquote>
Well designed Apps dosn't cover the Dock. You can set the size of the icons in the dock to very small.
So all you want is here now.
You can even hold the Command+Option keys while clicking on an app in the dock to activate that app and hide all others.
Use the dockmenu to go to the finder location of the dock item.
And if you have a really small screen you can move the dock to the side - most windows are higher than wide - so the dock dosn't use valuable space.
One of the reasons -- well, the main reason -- I am intrigued by the idea of dragging minimized windows from the Dock is that minimized windows are actually very handy and informative at the larger dock sizes (128 x 128)but the app icons are just plain huge at that size (unless you stuff them with badges and meters I suppose). Having a way to see large window icons and small app icons would seem like an improvement to the Dock, and I think that's the crux of the problem when some people think the Dock has to be really big, and others wonder why everyone doesn't reduce their Dock to a minimal size. The mechanism Xeo showed us for pulling out and "throwing" minimized windows to the edges of the screen is clumsy currently, but I think it's a step in the right direction. If you add a general preference for separate minimzzed windows, and allow them to "snap" to one another and the screen edges more easily, then I think you may have a winner. It will be interesting to see what shape that idea is in at WWDC, if at all.
One thing I've done that seems to work for me, is that I don't have any apps, except the system preferences, permenatly in the dock. I just click and hold on may apps menu that I created in the dock, and release on the app I want to open. This is the same way I have my apple menu set up in OS 9. When I load apps, they show up in the order that they were loaded. This allows me to have my dock pretty clean.
I figure in OS 9 I have to move my mouse to the apple menu and click to get my apps. I also have to move my mouse to the upper left to see the apps I'm running ( I know you can use the detachable application window, but I don't like it.) So in OS X I set it up a similar way, and I like it much better. By having my dock on the right and hidden, it's out of the way, I'm used to dragging to the right anyway because that's where my drives usually are. The benefit to me is, that I can just slam my mouse to the right, the dock pops out, I single click on the folder I need to get to my apps, client folder, or network folders, and I can at the same time see all the apps I'm running. Besides I love that the trash is never covered by a window. That's why I think once the spring loaded folders is working it will be complete. Everything will be totally drag and dropable!!!! (Is dropable even a word?? <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" /> )
Anyway, that's the way I work, and I love it. I find myself, when I'm in OS 9 (we haven't been allowed to swithch over at work yet <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" /> ) always dragging my mouse to the right and waiting for the dock, but then I realize that I'm not in 10. The only thing I am dying for in 10 besides springloaded folders is a true NeXT type shelf. That would complete it for me.
<strong>You can even hold the Command+Option keys while clicking on an app in the dock to activate that app and hide all others.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Something just occurred to me: Remember Single Window Mode? I wonder how useful Single Application Mode would be? All Apple would have to do is set a preference to use the current behavior or switch the behaviors of click and cmd-opt-click. Maybe some users would prefer to use the Dock to always focus on one app at a time, and summon multiple (visible) applications only when needed?
You can even hold the Command+Option keys while clicking on an app in the dock to activate that app and hide all others.
And if you have a really small screen you can move the dock to the side - most windows are higher than wide - so the dock dosn't use valuable space.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Regarding hiding the apps, you are correct. But while your using two hands to do this, I can do it with one hand while the other is holding a phone to my ear (or a cup of coffee, etc.). Its easier my way.
In response to moving the dock to the side, that is the way I would use it since my screen is small. But my preference would be to have another fixed menubar at the bottom to display the icons of open apps and use them to switch between apps.
If you run classic mac OS 8 or 9 (not while in OS X), you should at least try taskmenubar for a while. You'll see its easier to use than the pulldown menu or the dock for switching between or hiding apps.
<strong>One of the reasons -- well, the main reason -- I am intrigued by the idea of dragging minimized windows from the Dock is that minimized windows are actually very handy and informative at the larger dock sizes (128 x 128)but the app icons are just plain huge at that size (unless you stuff them with badges and meters I suppose). Having a way to see large window icons and small app icons would seem like an improvement to the Dock, and I think that's the crux of the problem when some people think the Dock has to be really big, and others wonder why everyone doesn't reduce their Dock to a minimal size. The mechanism Xeo showed us for pulling out and "throwing" minimized windows to the edges of the screen is clumsy currently, but I think it's a step in the right direction. If you add a general preference for separate minimzzed windows, and allow them to "snap" to one another and the screen edges more easily, then I think you may have a winner. It will be interesting to see what shape that idea is in at WWDC, if at all.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Nicely put -- esp. the part about the paradox between enormous icons and absurdly tiny minimized windows.
I too am waiting impatiently to see how (or when!) they'll be implementing this.
In a way, it's too bad the the UE team opened up the option of aligning the Dock left or right, because it makes it trickier for a consistent place for minimized windows... But that's the trade-off they'll have to figure out, for people who like the Dock on the side of the screen, I guess.
I'm hoping for more use of the screen edges in the UI in future updates...
Something just occurred to me: Remember Single Window Mode? I wonder how useful Single Application Mode would be? All Apple would have to do is set a preference to use the current behavior or switch the behaviors of click and cmd-opt-click. Maybe some users would prefer to use the Dock to always focus on one app at a time, and summon multiple (visible) applications only when needed?</strong><hr></blockquote>
That's why I use the third-party System Pref called ASM. It always hides all other apps when I switch between them. If I want to have two or more on the screen at the same time, I can shift-click to override that behavior. You can also set the dock to hide on an app-by-app basis. Truly indispensable for me.
There is a small add at Apple's OS X website in the upper left corner that says the following:
"See a sneak peak at the next release of Max OS X, code named Jaguar"
Unless the "at" should have be an "of," this says to me that its going to be released at WWDC. <hr></blockquote>Why does that mean that it will be released at WWDC?? If you read it from a developers point of view, you will see it and most likely have a copy of it under your seat. It won't be available to consumers till MWNY if 10.1.5 is floating around. <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
<strong>Why does that mean that it will be released at WWDC?? If you read it from a developers point of view, you will see it and most likely have a copy of it under your seat. It won't be available to consumers till MWNY if 10.1.5 is floating around. <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well, that what the words are saying to me.
Note that I don't think it'll be released then. I was just commenting on the interpretation of the wording from the OS X add on Apple's web site.
Comments
<strong>"I don't mean to harp, but why do people seem to complain about the apple menu. The dock is more customizable than the apple menu. I have folders in my dock for apps, in that folder I break it down into folders of types of apps, etc. I also have a folder for my clients, and my network folders. As soon as they let you have spring loaded folders for the dock folders, it will be perfect. I always put my dock on the right, centered and hidden. It's easy to just drag to the side a drop a file on a program or folder.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
I wouldn't mind the dock if I had a large screen. I think it gets in the way of open windows when you use a small screen. I know you can autohide it but then you can't just glance at it to get information, you have to move your mouse to see it so that you can see what is open, etc. I think the dock is cool looking and I like seeing it but just not in the way of app windows.
I'd rather see OS X come with another menu bar at the bottom of the screen that would display small icons of open apps such as taskmenubar does. Since open windows don't cover the top menubar, they also wouldn't cover the bottom menubar. It would be so easy just to glance down at it to see what's open. In addition, if it was set up as taskmenubar is, you could just click once on an icon in the lower menubar to get to that app. Two clicks on an icon selects that app and hides all others.
Plus, it could probably be set up so that the open app icons are displayed in order such as by time opened, amount of memory or cpu used, alphabetically, or by app launch order. It would also be helpful if it displayed the text names of the apps while you moved the cursor over them so that people who cannot see too well can read what apps they are. Maybe Apple could even get it to magnify the icons as the dock does.
Since there would probably be a lot of space left, you could reserve an area for displaying virtual windows (if Apple ever implements them), network activity indicators, stock tickers, etc. Even folders could probably be stored in the extra area.
I like what Apple did with the upper menu bar with the airport display, etc. I think a lower one that is used to display primarily system information would be very useful. It would kind of work like a car dashboard.
I'm not bashing the dock so don't flame me. I actually like the dock but only if I had a large display to use it with.
I think there is a windows shareware program that works similar to what I described. Its called Trayit. If anybody has used it, I'd be interested in what you think.
<strong>
I think it gets in the way of open windows when you use a small screen. (...)
I'd rather see OS X come with another menu bar at the bottom of the screen that would display small icons of open apps such as taskmenubar does. Since open windows don't cover the top menubar, they also wouldn't cover the bottom menubar. </strong><hr></blockquote>
Well designed Apps dosn't cover the Dock. You can set the size of the icons in the dock to very small.
So all you want is here now.
You can even hold the Command+Option keys while clicking on an app in the dock to activate that app and hide all others.
Use the dockmenu to go to the finder location of the dock item.
And if you have a really small screen you can move the dock to the side - most windows are higher than wide - so the dock dosn't use valuable space.
I figure in OS 9 I have to move my mouse to the apple menu and click to get my apps. I also have to move my mouse to the upper left to see the apps I'm running ( I know you can use the detachable application window, but I don't like it.) So in OS X I set it up a similar way, and I like it much better. By having my dock on the right and hidden, it's out of the way, I'm used to dragging to the right anyway because that's where my drives usually are. The benefit to me is, that I can just slam my mouse to the right, the dock pops out, I single click on the folder I need to get to my apps, client folder, or network folders, and I can at the same time see all the apps I'm running. Besides I love that the trash is never covered by a window. That's why I think once the spring loaded folders is working it will be complete. Everything will be totally drag and dropable!!!! (Is dropable even a word?? <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" /> )
Anyway, that's the way I work, and I love it. I find myself, when I'm in OS 9 (we haven't been allowed to swithch over at work yet <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" /> ) always dragging my mouse to the right and waiting for the dock, but then I realize that I'm not in 10. The only thing I am dying for in 10 besides springloaded folders is a true NeXT type shelf. That would complete it for me.
<strong>You can even hold the Command+Option keys while clicking on an app in the dock to activate that app and hide all others.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Something just occurred to me: Remember Single Window Mode? I wonder how useful Single Application Mode would be? All Apple would have to do is set a preference to use the current behavior or switch the behaviors of click and cmd-opt-click. Maybe some users would prefer to use the Dock to always focus on one app at a time, and summon multiple (visible) applications only when needed?
<strong>
You can even hold the Command+Option keys while clicking on an app in the dock to activate that app and hide all others.
And if you have a really small screen you can move the dock to the side - most windows are higher than wide - so the dock dosn't use valuable space.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Regarding hiding the apps, you are correct. But while your using two hands to do this, I can do it with one hand while the other is holding a phone to my ear (or a cup of coffee, etc.). Its easier my way.
In response to moving the dock to the side, that is the way I would use it since my screen is small. But my preference would be to have another fixed menubar at the bottom to display the icons of open apps and use them to switch between apps.
If you run classic mac OS 8 or 9 (not while in OS X), you should at least try taskmenubar for a while. You'll see its easier to use than the pulldown menu or the dock for switching between or hiding apps.
<strong>One of the reasons -- well, the main reason -- I am intrigued by the idea of dragging minimized windows from the Dock is that minimized windows are actually very handy and informative at the larger dock sizes (128 x 128)but the app icons are just plain huge at that size (unless you stuff them with badges and meters I suppose). Having a way to see large window icons and small app icons would seem like an improvement to the Dock, and I think that's the crux of the problem when some people think the Dock has to be really big, and others wonder why everyone doesn't reduce their Dock to a minimal size. The mechanism Xeo showed us for pulling out and "throwing" minimized windows to the edges of the screen is clumsy currently, but I think it's a step in the right direction. If you add a general preference for separate minimzzed windows, and allow them to "snap" to one another and the screen edges more easily, then I think you may have a winner. It will be interesting to see what shape that idea is in at WWDC, if at all.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Nicely put -- esp. the part about the paradox between enormous icons and absurdly tiny minimized windows.
I too am waiting impatiently to see how (or when!) they'll be implementing this.
In a way, it's too bad the the UE team opened up the option of aligning the Dock left or right, because it makes it trickier for a consistent place for minimized windows... But that's the trade-off they'll have to figure out, for people who like the Dock on the side of the screen, I guess.
I'm hoping for more use of the screen edges in the UI in future updates...
<strong>
Something just occurred to me: Remember Single Window Mode? I wonder how useful Single Application Mode would be? All Apple would have to do is set a preference to use the current behavior or switch the behaviors of click and cmd-opt-click. Maybe some users would prefer to use the Dock to always focus on one app at a time, and summon multiple (visible) applications only when needed?</strong><hr></blockquote>
That's why I use the third-party System Pref called ASM. It always hides all other apps when I switch between them. If I want to have two or more on the screen at the same time, I can shift-click to override that behavior. You can also set the dock to hide on an app-by-app basis. Truly indispensable for me.
<a href="http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/system_disk_utilities/asm.html"; target="_blank">ASM</a>
"See a sneak peak at the next release of Max OS X, code named Jaguar"
Unless the "at" should have be an "of," this says to me that its going to be released at WWDC.
There is a small add at Apple's OS X website in the upper left corner that says the following:
"See a sneak peak at the next release of Max OS X, code named Jaguar"
Unless the "at" should have be an "of," this says to me that its going to be released at WWDC. <hr></blockquote>Why does that mean that it will be released at WWDC?? If you read it from a developers point of view, you will see it and most likely have a copy of it under your seat. It won't be available to consumers till MWNY if 10.1.5 is floating around. <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
[ 04-20-2002: Message edited by: Mac_OS_X_Addict ]</p>
[ 04-20-2002: Message edited by: starfleetX ]</p>
<strong>Why does that mean that it will be released at WWDC?? If you read it from a developers point of view, you will see it and most likely have a copy of it under your seat. It won't be available to consumers till MWNY if 10.1.5 is floating around. <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well, that what the words are saying to me.
Note that I don't think it'll be released then. I was just commenting on the interpretation of the wording from the OS X add on Apple's web site.