I was playing with a Mac the other day and I noticed that the red ball with an X does not actually close a program. If this the way it works or there is an option to make the X close or minimize them?
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"X" does not close applications?
- Thread starter hdsalinas
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The red X is to close the window only. To minimize hit he yellow -. If you want to quit a program hit command+q or choose the applications menu and quit.
This is because on Macs the applications aren't restricted to a root window (nor are windows "instances" of an application on a Mac). Most apps present the user with document windows... which are documents in an application and not the application itself.hdsalinas said:
The default behavior in Windows stems from it's origins as a shell for running GUI apps. Since that time most Windows apps have been rooted in a main (root) window and closing that window closes the application.
This rooted application environment is actually a limitation of Windows rather than a feature. Other operating systems (some going back to the 80's) avoided this limitation, but it has followed Windows from it's earliest incarnations.
Some are..smaller one sometimes are..but most are not, at first it seemed like a bad idea, but i've grown to like it more then Windows' method
The inconsistency these days is annoying though. The iLife programs (except iTunes, we need consistency in our inconsistency) like to quit on window close. System Preferences is weird like that too.zap2 said:
Then again, maybe the inconsistency in the close button is necessary to complement the same random definitions given to the zoom button across different apps.
Right click and quit works ok, but yeah, I'd like a button that closes the app too. Some things you can leave open, like QT or Preview, but some things like PS or an app I'm only going to use for a few minutes can be closed. Would be convenient, even if there was some kind of option or 3rd party add-on.
Frisco said:
Excellent point. Memory management on the Mac is brilliant so we can afford to keep lots of apps open. Having said that, I quit all my apps before sleeping at night. I guess this is out of habit although Mail and Safari can sometimes act strangely if left open for too many days.
iMeowbot said:
But they're consistent in that they do what you'd expect. An application that has just one window (Like iPhoto and System Preferences) should behave the way it does. A document-based application should stay open in case you want to create more documents.
That's where this falls apart. iTunes and iPhoto, side by side, certainly look like they have the same kind of interface and act in much the same way. iTunes happens to have a feature that can open playlists into separate windows, while iPhoto happens to have left out the feature to put an album into a separate window. It's entirely arbitrary and inconsistent, and Apple patch it up by changing their interface guidelines to make up for their blunders.maxrobertson said:
It may be a carryover from my recent windows days, but I always quit an app when I'm done with it, exception being Safari, which I try to leave open so I don't have to log back into myspace ( ).
I find it nice to be able to close a window, and I am now a firm addict to command-whatevering when I need to close or minimize something.
To the OP- I think that you may find the easiest way to quit an app is command (the key with the apple logo on it) Q, which kills the app, and is similar to windows "x"ing in its ease.
). I find it nice to be able to close a window, and I am now a firm addict to command-whatevering when I need to close or minimize something.
To the OP- I think that you may find the easiest way to quit an app is command (the key with the apple logo on it) Q, which kills the app, and is similar to windows "x"ing in its ease.
The way I see it, with all the most applications already in people's Docks, and with most launch times being so short, it doesn't really matter that much any more whether the program is in RAM (i.e. running) or launching from the hard disk, either way it comes up within a couple of seconds.
Holy circularity, Batman! Yes, the programs are inconsistent because they are inconsistent! It's not what the programs can do, but what Apple didn't bother to do.dpaanlka said:
To put a finer point on it: those single window apps don't need to be that way, as other applications with similar interfaces demonstrate. They act strangely only because they act strangely.
Ok heres a really dumb question, and right now I wish my macrumors status said newbie so this didn't lok so bad.
On a Mac What is the difference between hitting the red butting (closing it) and minimizing it?
The times i'm on a Mac I always just hit red button if I'm not quite done yet, and command + Q all the others.
On a Mac What is the difference between hitting the red butting (closing it) and minimizing it?
The times i'm on a Mac I always just hit red button if I'm not quite done yet, and command + Q all the others.
poppe said:
The best way to illustrate this is to have you do it. After you finish reading this, copy the address of this thread, and paste it to a new safari window. Minimize the first one and close the second. The minimized one will be in the dock, so that you can access the same site later. The closed one is gone- of you want to get back to this thread you will have to open a new safari window, go to macrumors, and find this thread again.
iMeowbot said:
Here's the difference.
1. Open iTunes and iPhoto side by side (make sure your sound is on).
2. Start playing a song in iTunes. Now close the window.
3. Now look at a photo in iPhoto. Now close the window.
You'll notice that after step 2 the song keeps playing which means iTunes is perfectly capable of doing something without a window. You can't look at photos when there are no windows so quitting iPhoto when you close the window makes sense, however since playing music requires no visual feedback having iTunes open with no windows makes sense.
This does fall apart with TextEdit and Preview ad other apps like that when all of the windows are closed they keep running despite the visual nature of the applications. However the fact that the apps are typically more of a multi-window interface than iPhoto probably has something to do with that.
Personally, I agree with Apple. I don't think all app windows should act the same way. It just depends on what the app does and how people use it that makes a difference.
Of course, there is a part of me that wishes they would just make all apps follow the Command+Q to quit philosophy and not allow app closing by "x" button.
Of course, there is a part of me that wishes they would just make all apps follow the Command+Q to quit philosophy and not allow app closing by "x" button.
Preview is the one app I always find running when I thought it was closed. Heck, its open right now and I can't remember when I last used it.atszyman said: