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like the dock?
- Thread starter icecone
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I agree the dock has its downsides, BUT SO DOES EVERY OTHER PIECE OF SOFTWARE IN EXISTENCE. Sure some of its features are annoying, but they are greatly outweighed by convenience, uniqueness, and style. Ok, the colors arent amazing, but who cares? And I don't know about the guy who wrote this, but my apps in the docks have labels when I mouse over them, with ever-present labels, the dock would become quite clumsy.
??? The article hasn't been touched since Jan, 2004. What's the point?
Added: Actually I much prefer the dock over the Windows interface. I've been using Windows since it first came out. I moved to the mac about a year ago, and haven't looked back.
Added: Actually I much prefer the dock over the Windows interface. I've been using Windows since it first came out. I moved to the mac about a year ago, and haven't looked back.
the poor man's dock in windows is the quick launch bar.
i prefer the dock as to a double high task bar at the bottom with a zillion little buttons just to have a "dock" in windows. yes, i have seen computer illiterate people do that. to them, the start menu doesn't make sense when you have to click "start" then "shut down"
Think Different
i prefer the dock as to a double high task bar at the bottom with a zillion little buttons just to have a "dock" in windows. yes, i have seen computer illiterate people do that. to them, the start menu doesn't make sense when you have to click "start" then "shut down"
Think DifferentI haven't read that article, but I will chime in nonetheless 
Edit: I have just read the article. That guy is a moron. Maybe I'm just clever, and able to tell my icons apart without needing the labels?
The dock is gorgeous, and functional. However...
My first computer with a GUI was a Mac. An LC475 (if memory serves...), and it was great. I loved it. I had used Windows 3.11 at work, but to me that was just a DOS program.
Then in '96, I got a new job, and had to use Windows 95 (within a few months, I was able to switch to Windows NT 4, then 2000 and then XP, so I was never subject to the awful Win95, 98, ME issues). The first thing I did was move the task bar to the top of the screen, and the Recycle Bin to the bottom right, to replicate my Mac desktop as much as possible. This made a lot of sense to me, because all programs and windows have their controls and menus at the top of the screen. So it made sense to have the task bar up there as well. I continued this way until I switched back to Mac 1 month ago.
I have to say, now that all my stuff is at the bottom of the screen in the Dock, it does feel somewhat counter intuitive. I also find myself using Command+Tab a lot more than I used Alt+Tab on Windows (and no, I never used apps full screen on windows).
In those Mac-less years, I never had a problem with Windows. It's a fast, efficient OS that never gets in the way of what I do (Web Design). So, why did I switch? Cool hardware of course. Nothing beats Apple. As long as I have Photoshop, who cares what it's running on.
Mark
Edit: I have just read the article. That guy is a moron. Maybe I'm just clever, and able to tell my icons apart without needing the labels?
The dock is gorgeous, and functional. However...
My first computer with a GUI was a Mac. An LC475 (if memory serves...), and it was great. I loved it. I had used Windows 3.11 at work, but to me that was just a DOS program.
Then in '96, I got a new job, and had to use Windows 95 (within a few months, I was able to switch to Windows NT 4, then 2000 and then XP, so I was never subject to the awful Win95, 98, ME issues). The first thing I did was move the task bar to the top of the screen, and the Recycle Bin to the bottom right, to replicate my Mac desktop as much as possible. This made a lot of sense to me, because all programs and windows have their controls and menus at the top of the screen. So it made sense to have the task bar up there as well. I continued this way until I switched back to Mac 1 month ago.
I have to say, now that all my stuff is at the bottom of the screen in the Dock, it does feel somewhat counter intuitive. I also find myself using Command+Tab a lot more than I used Alt+Tab on Windows (and no, I never used apps full screen on windows).
In those Mac-less years, I never had a problem with Windows. It's a fast, efficient OS that never gets in the way of what I do (Web Design). So, why did I switch? Cool hardware of course. Nothing beats Apple. As long as I have Photoshop, who cares what it's running on.
Mark
you're the only guy who has never complained about windows and graphic design. well, i have some horror stories for you!
I know
Maybe because I'm somewhat of a Power User. I always have my systems set up exactly as I want them, and know how to avoid all the problems before they happen. The thing I miss most now that I'm back on a Mac is all the Windows keyboard shortcuts I'd use within Photoshop. I suppose I could set up new shortcuts on my Mac, but 11 years of habit is hard to break
Mark
I don't mind the dock, but I'm not in love with it. It doesn't enough... I guess... I kinda miss start>programs sometimes...
The Stig
The Stig
I generally like the Dock. One thing that might be nice is if a couple of things, like recent apps / recent documents (which, like everything else, are in the start menu on Windows) were represented on the dock instead of the Apple menu. I find that I very rarely go to the Apple menu for these things, whereas in Windows I use the recent docs feature fairly frequently. Perhaps they could be Stacks or whatever they're called in Leopard?
There isn't an easy way to do this, is there? I'm not at a Mac now, but I wonder if it's possible to create some kind of recent documents smart folder and put it in the dock's right hand side?
EDIT: The limitation seems to be that there's no way to assign a "limit to the top ten results" or something like that to a spotlight query...also, smart folders don't seem to expand from the dock like real folders do....
I use Spotlight for that. Press CMD+SPACE and it'll jump to Spotlight. Type what program you want and presto, there it is!
I do use CMD+SHIFT+A alot though because I can't remember the name of a program.
Anyway, the Dock is fantastic - it isn't too big and I have a 16:9 widescreen laptop, I don't suffer any issues this plonker is suggesting.
It is pathetic he actually wrote that much of an essay on it. Get over it already.
Better yet, add the applications folder to the dock, then it will either open as a menu, much like All Programs in XP or you can open it in a window.
Overall the dock is pretty good...stacks should be nice when Leopard comes out.