Mac Multitasking Question

Marky

Marky

Marky

Soldato
Joined
16 Apr 2007
Posts
23,474
Location
UK
Hey,

I've always wondered when using a Mac about when you open an app sometimes when you close it, it stays open (where it leaves the little dot below its icon in the dock).

When it is not showing but there is a dot underneath is it still using any of the computer (for example does it slow down if you had 20 apps closed but with the dot underneath)?

How can I close all apps completely (close them and get rid of the dot)?

And, what do you do in terms of apps and closing them? Do you make sure they are completely closed or do you just leave it dotted? :p

Thanks,

Marky
 
To answer how to close completely, either hold apple+q when you have the window open, or right click the dock icon and choose quit :)

Most apps of mine are dotted if I'm likely to use it again, unless it's something like lightroom/photoshop. I close that completely.
 
It's because there's a distinction between an app and its windows. Just because all its windows are currently closed, doesn't necessarily mean you're finished with the app.

The proper way to quit an app is not to click the red button on a window, but to do File > Quit (Cmd-Q keyboard shortcut).

IMO this is actually one of the more meaningful differences between OS X and MS Windows.

----

Related, the yellow button (Minimize) is usually inferior to Hide (Cmd-H), because windows aren't shown again when you Cmd-Tab to their application like they are with Hide. Minimize makes more sense when apps have several floating tool windows but thankfully that's out of fashion now.
 
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No.

You can close them all and invoke an immediate shut down, or sleep but you need to install an automator add in to get that functionality.

To close all apps and power down is ctrl+opt+cmd+eject on a desktop, ctrl+opt+cmd+power on laptops.

You can close all finder windows at once by pressing cmd+opt+w though.

More shortcuts can be found here
 
The most annoying thing about this feature is the inconsistencies between apps and how they utilise the "close" button.

Some apps will close the app completely (i.e. remove the dot), some will "minimise" the app to the dock but kill your session and others (my preferred) will "minimise" the app but also keep your session.

I prefer the latter as I like to keep what I had in there, if I want a new session I'd kill the app completely via the methods above.
 
keogh said:
The most annoying thing about this feature is the inconsistencies between apps and how they utilise the "close" button.

Some apps will close the app completely (i.e. remove the dot), some will "minimise" the app to the dock but kill your session and others (my preferred) will "minimise" the app but also keep your session.

I prefer the latter as I like to keep what I had in there, if I want a new session I'd kill the app completely via the methods above.
Click to expand...

iPhoto is the biggest culprit for this!

Many times I've closed the window while it's doing something and get the "Ooops, iPhoto is still processing.. do you want to cancel you n00b?" message :mad:
 
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