That little green button, love it or hate it? POLL

big_malk · May 20, 2008

I've seen a lot of threads of people complaining about the green zoom button in OS X, and most of these people seem to dislike it because they expect it to work like the windows maximise button, and it doesn't.

Personally, most of my computer time is with OS X, but I've spent a lot of time on windows PCs. I don't use the zoom button in OS X, because, although I know what it does, it still seems a bit unpredictable and useless.

sananda · May 20, 2008

big_malk said:
although I know what it does, it still seems a bit unpredictable.

that's what i think too.

Ludde · May 20, 2008

I loves it. I don't think I've ever found it useless or hard to understand. Much more useful than maximize would've been.

snberk103 · May 20, 2008

What Green Button?

All I have is an X , - , + . hee hee hee

I very rarely need to go full screen. I found somewhere a script that I put on the Safari bookmark bar that puts Safari in full screen, and another one that takes it back to 800 pixels wide (don't ask me where to find it, it was ages ago!). Everything else I always seem to be sizing down so that I can see more open windows.

OS/2 (yes that old IBM OS) had a keyboard command to "tile" all open windows. It would take all the open windows and resize them all to fit all of them on the desktop, each edge touching - like a mosaic. This would completely cover the desktop, IIRC. Sort of like 'Expose', except that the windows would actually be moved and placed there - though I think there was an undo command too. The other command would "stack" windows. It would resize all the windows to the same size, and create a pile on the desktop. Each window would be offset to the right and down from the window below it so that you could read the title on the window title bar. Then you would click on window you were looking for.

I wonder if 'Expose' came from that period when IBM and Apple were co-operating on the GUI as a Object Model (or whatever it was called).

Wish I had some screen shots to show you. I don't think OS X has anything like that, does it? 'Expose is better than the tiling, but the stacking mode could have some uses still. Sigh. I liked OS/2. I may install its progeny, eComStation in VMWare one day.

skwij · May 20, 2008

I don't think I've ever used the green button.

Honest.

I tend to resize and position my windows as I want, and then forget about them.

:apple:

- Tab is my friend, as is exposé (activated by a hotcorner, as well as the default keys).

KingYaba · May 20, 2008

My button is not green.

Eric5h5 · May 20, 2008

Your poll is missing an option or two. So I didn't vote.

For example, I rarely use it, but I don't dislike it. On those few occasions when I do use it, it works like I expect. So I'm glad it's there, but it's just not something I would ever use regularly.

--Eric

HLdan · May 20, 2008

Oh please, the green button is not unpredictable.

It only performs differently for a couple of apps, the rest it acts as a maximize button.
I read a post today of someone saying the green button is a mystery.

It is not a mystery, it's not as if it changes the way it performs every day you boot up your Mac. Some people are taking this way too far and I'm a bit disappointed as the MR forum members act like they are so computer savvy but then they act like they can't figure out a few simple functions of the green button.

Has it ever occurred to anyone that if Apple thought it was such a stupid implementation they would've changed it by now? There's more than just Steve Jobs that makes design decisions for OS X for goodness sake.

TH-Gunner · May 21, 2008

I think it should just do plain maximize for every app. Personally speaking, when I hit that button, that means I want to focus on nothing but that app.

Daveoc64 · May 21, 2008

I only use it in Preview, because that seems to use it the most logically.

Other apps I know it will do something that can only be solved with a lot of stretching.

As such, I'd prefer it worked like Windows.

ScoobyMcDoo · May 21, 2008

I almost never use it - not because I dislike it - I just don't ever need it. I size the windows the way I want them.

I also never use the maximize button in widoze or linux/kde.

wrldwzrd89 · May 21, 2008

I use it, but only in TextEdit, because TextEdit does the best job of sizing the window to fit the content when I click it.

TBi · May 21, 2008

You are missing an option:

"Never, nor do i use Maximise on windows. I resize my own windows."

iscripter · May 21, 2008

application specific

The reason why so many people find it so confusing when using it is because it doesn't work the same way as it does on MS Winddows. According to the Apple User Interface guidelines

zoom button = A control that toggles a window between its standard state and its user state.

Personally myself I just don't use the green zoom button and I manually resize my windows myself.

donmei · May 21, 2008

Stupid.
If apple refuses to make it a true maximize, they should at least make it zoom dynamically. Here is a use case as an example. I go to drudge. click zoom, it sizes the window appropriately.

Now I go to a wider page and have a scroll bar across the botom. I need to reclick the zoom button. If the window was maximized, this wouldnt be necessary.

It also wouldnt be necessary if the window automatically resized itself to fit the new page.

Chappers · May 21, 2008

It seems to do the job but it has its moments and at times irritates me - so I tend to try and avoid it especially if I'm showing off how great my MB is to a weenie.

bigjnyc · May 21, 2008

I use it every once in a while but its very unpredictable sometimes, I dont dislike it and i do use it every once in a while, i just switched from PC about 2 months ago and i dont wish it worked like windows maximize, i realize its a totally different OS and it shouldnt try to be like windows. But i have to say its a little weird sometimes and its perfect other times, hence why i say its unpredictable.... if i would like a full screen window i just drag it from the bottom right no big deal takes about 2 seconds of my life. so i guess i'm neutral on this issue.

sananda · May 21, 2008

HLdan said:
Oh please, the green button is not unpredictable. It only performs differently for a couple of apps, the rest it acts as a maximize button.
I read a post today of someone saying the green button is a mystery. It is not a mystery, it's not as if it changes the way it performs every day you boot up your Mac. Some people are taking this way too far and I'm a bit disappointed as the MR forum members act like they are so computer savvy but then they act like they can't figure out a few simple functions of the green button.

Has it ever occurred to anyone that if Apple thought it was such a stupid implementation they would've changed it by now? There's more than just Steve Jobs that makes design decisions for OS X for goodness sake.

not sure that you actually know what what it's meant to do if you think it acts as a maximise button!

could you put in any more of those arrogant eye rolling things?

DaveF · May 21, 2008

I like the Green Button concept, but its implementation vexes me.

As I said in a different thread...
My complaint with the "Green" button is best given by a question: "What does the green button do in an application?"

This question is unanswerable. For all applications, the red button closes the window and yellow miniaturizes the window. In Windows, maximize -- good or bad -- always toggles between current state and maximized state.

But the behavior of green cannot be predicted, much less described simply. Its behavior can only be determined empirically, for each individual application. That this is wholly contrary to Apple's modus operandi seems painfully obvious -- what other universal OS feature is unpredictable, indescribable, and generally undocumented? How has this not been recognized and fixed?

hayesk · May 21, 2008

donmei said:
Stupid.
If apple refuses to make it a true maximize, they should at least make it zoom dynamically. Here is a use case as an example. I go to drudge. click zoom, it sizes the window appropriately.

Now I go to a wider page and have a scroll bar across the botom. I need to reclick the zoom button. If the window was maximized, this wouldnt be necessary.

It also wouldnt be necessary if the window automatically resized itself to fit the new page.

"True" maximize is stupid and violates sensible user interface guidelines, that's why.

Just size the window to be the full screen yourself if that is what you prefer. The zoom button is to zoom the window just large enough to show the content you are currently working with. It's not a mystery, it's not confusing, and it is much more useful than simply zooming the window.

And for those that want to focus on the app they are working with without looking at others, press option-command-H to hide all of the other windows. There, no distractions, and you can still access your destkop. Much better than maximize.

DaveF said:
As I said in a different thread...
My complaint with the "Green" button is best given by a question: "What does the green button do in an application?"

Oh my goodness, how can people not understand that it simply sizes the window to be just large enough to show the content. Click it again and it goes back to what it was sized at. What is so freakin' confusing about that?

It is up to the application to decide what the size of its content. If it isn't behaving like above, then tell the app developer they have a bug.

Simple as that.

HLdan · May 21, 2008

sananda said:
not sure that you actually know what what it's meant to do if you think it acts as a maximise button!

could you put in any more of those arrogant eye rolling things?

See, this is your problem, you THINK it's a maximize button and that's why you feel it's unpredictable. If you never used Windows before you wouldn't think there's anything wrong with the way it works, and drop the arrogant comments, we all have a right to voice our opinions here.

HiRez · May 21, 2008

I like working full screen in all my apps, so yes, I wish you could set it to always maximize to full screen. I don't like much from Windoze, but that's one thing I think is a vast improvement to Apple's confusing and inconsistent behavior. They stole Command-Tab app switching, sticky menus, copy-paste of files in Finder, and eventually multibutton mice from Windoze — good moves — and they should finally give in and implement this one too (at least as a preference).

Kernow · May 21, 2008

I like it. I use a large screen, so full screen would kill my neck. I like having many windows of just the right size open - suits the way I work.

HiRez · May 21, 2008

DaveF said:
But the behavior of green cannot be predicted, much less described simply. Its behavior can only be determined empirically, for each individual application. That this is wholly contrary to Apple's modus operandi seems painfully obvious -- what other universal OS feature is unpredictable, indescribable, and generally undocumented? How has this not been recognized and fixed?

Well said.

sananda · May 21, 2008

HLdan said:
See, this is your problem, you THINK it's a maximize button and that's why you feel it's unpredictable. If you never used Windows before you wouldn't think there's anything wrong with the way it works, and drop the arrogant comments, we all have a right to voice our opinions here.

first, i don't think it's a maximise button. second, you are one who wrote "it acts as a maximize button". third, i've never been a windows user.

That little green button, love it or hate it? POLL

Do you use the green button?

What green button? Talk sense or go away!

Yip, regularly

Sometimes, but I don't like it

Never - it's useless, i don't understand it or something like that

Never - it should work like the windows maximise button

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