Forums | MacLife

Damn, well I'll reinstall then...

Let's see...

The Dock allows a good 30-40 apps before it becomes unusable. It can store applications, documents, the trash can (accessible to any app from there) and drives. It allows application switching with a single click, and can be used to present a menu for any running apps (handy for controlling iTunes with a single click, for example, rather than bringing the app forward, doing stuff and sending it back).

The Taskbar allows app shortcuts, running apps and there's a system tray for utilities (clock, screen res, etc). You can have maybe 16 app shortcuts (before they become clustered, unusable or use up too much space), as many running apps as you like and a few things in the system tray. The more running apps you have, the less useful the Taskbar is (unless you go to second or third lines), and after about 16 apps it's very poor indeed. It allows single-click switching between apps. You can't control apps from the taskbar, unless they present a menu in the system tray.

On balance, I prefer the Dock. It's best when it auto-hides, so takes up virtually no screen space. It sits in front of all apps, so again doesn't use up space (that the Taskbar does). When it hides and shows, it doesn't cause other apps to reflow their windows, and last of all - it looks damned good.

bigest problem i have sometimes with the dock when magnification is turned on is that the thing moves. sometimes i miss the trash if im working quickly or launch the wrong app.

but with the start menu on the task bar, you have access to every single application in windows. you cant get that with the dock in osx. unless you drag and drop every app icon onto the dock. in windows i dont have to go into "My computer">[program files> to get to my applications like in OSX.

in osx the only applications that i actually can get to quickly is what i put into the dock. and sure dont want to put all my apps into my dock. because it would shrink too much, then you have to turn magnification higher which in-turn would make the darned thing move all over the screen. then you are trying to click a moving target.  the dock is alot more flashy than the taskbar. but i think most confuse flashy or pretty for useful. because the dock is really impressive in osx .

the perfect one is on linux, it has a dock and a "start menu" you have the dock icons, magnification, and the kde menu that lists all your apps, clock all that stuff.. its not as "pretty " as the osx dock but its more functional.

and on both Windows and Linux you have the trash on the desktop where it belongs

It is possible to dock folders, and even your hard drive/partitions to allow access to things. For example, you could dock you applications folder to allow access to all applications via the dock in much the same manner as the start button on the Windows taskbar. To my mind, this is a more flexible arrangement than the start button, which  AFAIK doesn't allow for much if any customization.

In addition (and please forgive my if there are equivalents in Windows, but I have never seen or heard of any), we have a number of third-party "docklings" which allow adding various functionalities to the dock.

Ultimately, which you like, Taskbar vs. Dock, depends a lot on how you work, which in turn depends in part on what you are used to. I suspect that people who are primarily or exclusively Windows prefer the TB (it's what they are used to) while us Maccies prefer the Dock.

Let's see...
It allows application switching with a single click...

Damn, I reinstalled for nothing... You are no longer my hero Twisted...

Gary is my hero...

The task bar feels clumsy to me.
I really prefer the gnome panel to either - but the OS X dock is better than the Windows task bar.

I can drag anything I want to the Dock.  It's like...woah.

Hitting Shift-cmd-a is almost too hard and slow for me to instantly get to my Applications folder.

Much more painful than clicking the start button in windows and maybe getting a window with stuff listed under 5 seconds.  On a 2.4 Ghz box as well.   

The dock is tons better.  It has been proven that humans deal with pictures (icons) faster than words.  It is just the way are brain works.  Why the hell do you think we use symbols for traffic instructions....hmmm.

pcguy, you do know that the magnification can be turned off, right?  You can also change the amount of mag as well, so stuff does not move that much side to side like you suggest.

-mark

Hitting Shift-cmd-a is almost too hard and slow for me to instantly get to my Applications folder.

Much more painful than clicking the start button in windows and maybe getting a window with stuff listed under 5 seconds.  On a 2.4 Ghz box as well.   

The dock is tons better.  It has been proven that humans deal with pictures (icons) faster than words.  It is just the way are brain works.  Why the hell do you think we use symbols for traffic instructions....hmmm.

pcguy, you do know that the magnification can be turned off, right?  You can also change the amount of mag as well, so stuff does not move that much side to side like you suggest.

-mark

I don't think I have suggest anything on this subject! in fact, I don't think I have comment onit at all.

He's right. In fact, he hasn't made any useful comments to his own thread at all. The only comments he has made were in regards to an argument over the native language of Bangladesh. How useful that was.

Later, Frank

I don't feel like either of those statements represent me since I don't talk or type like a 4 year old Bangladeshi girl.

I thought it was Bengal or Bengali.

Dude....

Your just jumpin his smurf...i mean come on if you have been around these forums long enough you know how pc guy writes and u just get over it...He is usually pretty knowledgeable and a decent person. Your just being negative leave him be.

for all we know english is his 5th language....

Think about the purpose of these forums...your reasoning for reading them and replying in them....and your motives....