What's with the gaps down at the bottom of some apps?? (GarageBand)

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
I'll use GarageBand as an example.



If you launch GarageBand, in the main window you'll notice the window does not reach the bottom of your display. So you can see the window of whatever app is behind the GarageBand window!

This is so annoying!

What's worse is when it's noticeable in Safari, because try as you may, you will not be able to drag the window down to get rid of the gap!



As innovative as apple is, I can't understand why this problem exists!



It's annoying, and it's seems strange that apple didn't sort this yet!
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 26
    wth are you talking about? I can drag out any window to cover to the bottom of the screen. I for one cant stand the fullscreen type apps that hog the desktop. I sometimes need access to many different windows that i have open.

    Try dragging your windows bottom right corner to the size that you want. I am sure it will work(does for me).



    IBL
  • Reply 2 of 26
    bergzbergz Posts: 1,045member
    The description of your problem and what you have tried to resolve it are not very clear.



    Do you have the dock at the bottom of your screen?



    --B
  • Reply 3 of 26
    I see what he means, and yes, it is the Dock that is causing it (my Dock is hidden). With Safari open, I moved my Dock to the left then opened a new window in Safari that I could make slightly longer than the one already open. When I moved the Dock back to the bottom, new windows again have the slight space at the bottom.



    The desktop picture seems to carry under the the gap.



    Never noticed this until now, and spend several hours a day on my Macs. Doesn't bother me at all; wouldn't have noticced it if I hadn't read it here. Still now it doesn't occcur to me that this is a problem. It seems natural for the Dock to need a liittle space to operate in; other docklike apps I have used - especially Codetek7s Virtual Desktop - have very noticeable handles sticking out all over, so at least Apple's Dock is almost invisible.
  • Reply 4 of 26
    Happens with Safari, Mail, some other apps, not iTunes, not with some other apps.



    If you grab the window and move it down, the gap will disappear, but if you drag the window resize handle, the gap will remmain.





    This seems to be an OS X thing, so perhaps this thread should be moved...
  • Reply 5 of 26
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Bergermeister

    Happens with Safari, Mail, some other apps, not iTunes, not with some other apps.



    If you grab the window and move it down, the gap will disappear, but if you drag the window resize handle, the gap will remmain.





    This seems to be an OS X thing, so perhaps this thread should be moved...




    This is also an application thing!

    There should be no gaps in my opinion. My dock is hidden on the bottom.

    This should not create a tiny gap!

    If I'm looking at video clip say on Safari, iWeb, with a black background, It's offputting and a little annoying.

    I just think apple should clean it up that's all.
  • Reply 6 of 26
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    To clarify:



    When a window is at fullscreen in some applications, e.g. when GarageBand is launched it's most noticeable in that window.

    There's about a 3mm gap between the bottom of the Garageband window and the the bottom bezal of the display.



    The user should not have to fix the gap, there should be no gap, this problem even though small, should not exist. Even WITH the dock hidden at the bottom.
  • Reply 7 of 26
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    It's not a bug it's a feature.



    As has been noted, it's a subtle UI hint that the dock is hidden on the edge that doesn't quite reach. It gives a little mousing space between the drag corner and invoking the hidden dock. You can replicate this behavior right or bottom, depending on where the dock is located.



    If it really bothers you that much you could put your dock on the left. Since you can't resize a window by dragging from the left edge no gap need or provided.
  • Reply 8 of 26
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by addabox

    It's not a bug it's a feature.



    As has been noted, it's a subtle UI hint that the dock is hidden on the edge that doesn't quite reach. It gives a little mousing space between the drag corner and invoking the hidden dock. You can replicate this behavior right or bottom, depending on where the dock is located.



    If it really bothers you that much you could put your dock on the left. Since you can't resize a window by dragging from the left edge no gap need or provided.




    I know it's not a bug.

    I like my dock on the bottom (hidden), and if you put the dock on the left you'll have the same problem with the window being pushed slightly to the right, back to square one again maybe even worse!

    If I put my dock on the bottom and keep it there I tihnk I will remember where I put it. And if I cannot remember, a quick check with the mouse or in the menu bar confimrs that.

    If you reposition the window on the left with the dock hidden on the left, when you open a new app or new window that gap is there again!



    Don't get me wrong I love Mac OS X and apple, but this needs a little attention. If i'm watching say a movie/video clip in safari with in a black window, I don't want to see my desktop at the bottom, where the gap is and I don't want have to move the dock or anything. Fullscreen should mean fullscreen!

    p.s. If the gap is there to get at the dock then why is the gap noticeably bigger in GarageBand!
  • Reply 9 of 26
    bergzbergz Posts: 1,045member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Ireland

    There's about a 3mm gap



    Quote:

    http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/internat.htm

    [With regard to integration of the metric system,] legally, Ireland is quite advanced, but there is still widespread use of Imperial units in everyday conversation. Most older people cannot visualize metric quantities easily.







    I don't know about your screen, but I'm using 1280 x 854 and I've got 3 pixels, not 3 mm, of buffer when the dock is hidden.



    I don't know if I've misinterpreted your posts, but you seem to be pretty worked up about these 3 pixels.



    --B
  • Reply 10 of 26
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by bergz





    I don't know about your screen, but I'm using 1280 x 854 and I've got 3 pixels, not 3 mm, of buffer when the dock is hidden.



    I don't know if I've misinterpreted your posts, but you seem to be pretty worked up about these 3 pixels.



    --B [/B]



    In Europe/Ireland we use metric!

    In GarageBand the gap is not far off 3mm.(2mm, whatever)



    The point is there sould be no gap at all, like the fact there is no gap on the left or right. The edge of the window on the left and right meets the edge of the display, the same should apply to the bottom of the screen. I'm not the only person who thinks apple sould get rid of this gap!

    The result would be clean lines
  • Reply 11 of 26
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Ireland

    In Europe/Ireland we use metric!



    What does that have to do with anything? A screen uses pixels. Not millimeters, not potatoes and not fractions of an inch.
  • Reply 12 of 26
    bergzbergz Posts: 1,045member
    One strange thing I just noticed is that Garageband is the only app I have that DOESN'T leave a gap. Firefox, Finder windows and Photoshop, for ex. all leave the gap, but Garageband doesn't. I'm using GB 2.0 on 10.3.9. I'd post a pic but I'm lazy.



    --B
  • Reply 13 of 26
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Ireland

    I know it's not a bug.

    I like my dock on the bottom (hidden), and if you put the dock on the left you'll have the same problem with the window being pushed slightly to the right, back to square one again maybe even worse!

    If I put my dock on the bottom and keep it there I tihnk I will remember where I put it. And if I cannot remember, a quick check with the mouse or in the menu bar confimrs that.

    If you reposition the window on the left with the dock hidden on the left, when you open a new app or new window that gap is there again!



    Don't get me wrong I love Mac OS X and apple, but this needs a little attention. If i'm watching say a movie/video clip in safari with in a black window, I don't want to see my desktop at the bottom, where the gap is and I don't want have to move the dock or anything. Fullscreen should mean fullscreen!

    p.s. If the gap is there to get at the dock then why is the gap noticeably bigger in GarageBand!






    Hmmmm...... you're right about putting the dock on the left not changing the gapping behavior.



    I still think that Apple does this because it makes it easier to hit the resize corner without the Dock popping in and turning your mouse click into selecting the trash instead of grabbing the window. If you try the above with and without the gap (by dragging the window over) it actually does make a difference.



    That being said, you obviously don't like it, so: make a desktop image with a few mm of black at the bottom and never drag windows down but only use the resize button. That way, no windows will show underneath and you'll have nice inky blackness in your gap.



    Yes, I know that in your estimation you "shouldn't" have to do anything at all, but given that Apple has included the gap for a reason it seems unlikely that they'll change it, and you only have to fix it once.
  • Reply 14 of 26
    eckingecking Posts: 1,588member
    Why would you want ANY app to be full screen? Your using a mac now buddy you can be more productive than that!
  • Reply 15 of 26
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by addabox

    Hmmmm...... you're right about putting the dock on the left not changing the gapping behavior.



    I still think that Apple does this because it makes it easier to hit the resize corner without the Dock popping in and turning your mouse click into selecting the trash instead of grabbing the window. If you try the above with and without the gap (by dragging the window over) it actually does make a difference.



    That being said, you obviously don't like it, so: make a desktop image with a few mm of black at the bottom and never drag windows down but only use the resize button. That way, no windows will show underneath and you'll have nice inky blackness in your gap.



    Yes, I know that in your estimation you "shouldn't" have to do anything at all, but given that Apple has included the gap for a reason it seems unlikely that they'll change it, and you only have to fix it once.




    On the contrary I think the only reason you cannot grab the window when you go right down to the bottom right corner is precisely because the window does not!

    And to 'Chucker', take a ruler and put it next to the screen and you'll see what I mean! Maybe I didn't feel like counting the pixels! A rular was faster!

    p.s. I wasn't aware patatoes were a form of measurement. You must have been rared a little differently.
  • Reply 16 of 26
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Ireland

    And to 'Chucker', take a ruler and put it next to the screen and you'll see what I mean!



    I seriously pity you if your screen has such a low resolution that 3 pixels roughly equal 3 millimeters.
  • Reply 17 of 26
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Chucker

    I seriously pity you if your screen has such a low resolution that 3 pixels roughly equal 3 millimeters.



    Stop wasting my time!
  • Reply 18 of 26
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Ireland

    On the contrary I think the only reason you cannot grab the window when you go right down to the bottom right corner is precisely because the window does not!

    And to 'Chucker', take a ruler and put it next to the screen and you'll see what I mean! Maybe I didn't feel like counting the pixels! A rular was faster!

    p.s. I wasn't aware patatoes were a form of measurement. You must have been rared a little differently.




    Does your dock extend to the right hand corner of your screen? Do you keep it hidden? If so, throwing the cursor to the bottom right corner will cause the Dock to appear, and trying to click the window grab corner will select the trash.



    Now grant you, I use TinkerTool to pin the Dock to the right, so that might not be an issue for you.



    So what you should do is, get TinkerTool, pin your Dock to the right, and that way every time you go to resize a window, you can say "Man! I'm glad Apple built in a little space down here so I don't just ineffectually show the dock every time I try to do this!".



    See? And then you'll have turned an irritating problem into a happy thought!
  • Reply 19 of 26
    objra10objra10 Posts: 679member
    So, it is interesting that different programs behave differently (as Berg mentioned). I did a test (I can't believe I actually wasted the time, but I did) of the programs I most frequently use and of them



    iTunes, Filemaker Pro, Entourage, Excel, Word, FCP, After Effects, Illustrator, InDesign, do not have the space.



    Quicktime, Safari, Aperture, iCal, Mail all have the gap. In fact, Quicken has an even larger gap.





    Is there something in common with these programs that would cause this? It's obviously not a dock related thing since it's not universal.



    It doesn't bother me at all, but it does have me curious. I use a 23" cinema display, so quite honestly I rarely ever have anything that far down.



    Why would anyone ever be watching a movie in safari? Wouldn't you be using Quicktime, which would allow fullscreen anyway.
  • Reply 20 of 26
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by OBJRA10

    So, it is interesting that different programs behave differently (as Berg mentioned). I did a test (I can't believe I actually wasted the time, but I did) of the programs I most frequently use and of them



    iTunes, Filemaker Pro, Entourage, Excel, Word, FCP, After Effects, Illustrator, InDesign, do not have the space.



    Quicktime, Safari, Aperture, iCal, Mail all have the gap. In fact, Quicken has an even larger gap.





    Is there something in common with these programs that would cause this? It's obviously not a dock related thing since it's not universal.



    It doesn't bother me at all, but it does have me curious. I use a 23" cinema display, so quite honestly I rarely ever have anything that far down.



    Why would anyone ever be watching a movie in safari? Wouldn't you be using Quicktime, which would allow fullscreen anyway.




    Well, seeing as how the gap follows the dock positioning, I think we have to assume it is dock related, just not consistent. That is, it's not anything the dock is "doing", but insofar as an app is coded to have a gap, it is coded to put that gap on the side where the dock is.



    I can't discern any pattern to the apps you list, other than all the "gappers" other than Quicken are Apple software.



    Maybe something added or dropped that depends on version?
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