Switcher OSX application window question

[build]

I'm new to OSX and Leopard. Could someone please explain the benefit of closing an application window vs minimizing a window? both allow the application to still run. Is closing using less CPU cycles or graphical resources? In the case of itunes, the application is still producing audio with the window closed. What is the gain over minimizing?

Is there an online resource I can read about such things.

Thanks.

 

[killmoms]

Well, usually I prefer "hiding." Hiding hides all of an application's windows. It doesn't close them, but they're not minimized either.

As for resource consumption, I'm not sure. I'd think that, since minimized windows continue to update (sometimes, not sure how that works internally) they're at least still being framebuffered on the graphics card, but I'm not sure. I think some developer who's more versed in how Quartz behaves could probably answer that question better than I.

In the end, I try not to think about that kind of stuff, and just use the computer in a way that makes sense for me from a user perspective.

 

[build]

So hiding is the Mac terminology for when you click on the red orb in the upper left?

 

[killmoms]

So hiding is the Mac terminology for when you click on the red orb in the upper left?

No, "hiding" is when you push Cmd+H, or go to the application's menu and choose "Hide [whatever]." The application is still open, all windows are still preserved, but the app is only shown as being open in the Dock and Cmd+tab switcher and whatnot. You have to switch to it to see its windows again.

 

[Neutral Gamer]

Is closing using less CPU cycles or graphical resources?

Hello mate, I just did a quick test for you. I had a YouTube video playing in a Safari window and using Activity Monitor I could see that on average it was using 60% of the CPU (why Safari / Flash is so inefficient is a whole different matter!).

When I minimised the window it went down to about 17%. But when I hid the whole application it only went down to 30%. How weird is that!

Obviously it depends on which application you're using. Open up Activity Monitor and start minimising/hiding/closing your favourite applications to see the result for yourself.

Cheers 🙂

 

[clevin]

because "hiding" still has the app at the status, it probably won't give back any resources to the system. "closing" with give back more resources to system, still not vert much tho.