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Dock Issues
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Apr 16, 2003, 06:39 PM
 
I dont know about the rest of you, but I think it would be nice to be able to create other docks.

First off, I would like 1 dock for my favorites / whatever and a seperate dock for running applications. It would be nice if that folder was accessible from anywhere. Otherwise it's pretty useless because it takes like 3 clicks to get at the contents. In the go menu it doesn't show the contents of folders anyway.

In the other dock, ONLY running applications. I miss having the list of running apps in the corner.

I think that if a folder is in the dock it should be indexed in the background. If you put your applications folder and you have over 40 or 50 apps it takes a long time to load them, I'd say I've waited 3-5 seconds every time, which is really annoying on a dual ghz machine.

The idea of a shelf is nice also, but that's a little off topic.

I think it would be nice to have names optionally included in the dock under the icons. I have a hard time telling Safari and iTunes apart from the corner of my eye. I don't know if the names would fix this, but it would be cool anyway.

yeah a little disorganized but I have ADD.
     
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Apr 16, 2003, 09:18 PM
 
There are apps that let you create multiple Docks. Search in Versiontracker for Dock. One I use is DragThing. You can create any number of Docks- I have one for Apps, one for utilities, one for scripts, one for documents, one for Project Builder projects, and one for websites. Easy to configure, drag and drop installs of the items you want.
     
970
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Apr 16, 2003, 09:25 PM
 
It looks like DragThing would be something you would want to get seriously. It does what you want.

I don't use the dock at all, because I think the dock sucks. Not only is it a drain on CPU power, but it gets in your way and likes to put different application windows upon other application windows resulting in a huge mess and a waste of time. I'd disable it totally, but if you do that, you can't have a desktop background (wtf apple?)

I use a combination of Snard Menu to navigate the filesystem from the Desktop, and Keyboard Maestro to switch programs and have others automatically hidden by simply pressing CMD+SPACEBAR. I find this increases my workflow 5-10 times compared to the dock. This also would work for you, but wouldn't fullfill some of your prefs in the manner you would like.
     
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Apr 16, 2003, 11:46 PM
 
The dock does not drain much cpu if you
aren't using magnification and other fancy
stuff.

On an iMac 600Mhz it's almost always on
0% cpu time (infact if you check the process status it says that it is blocked
so it can't be using the cpu)
     
Mac Elite
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Apr 17, 2003, 12:03 AM
 
On thing I like about windows, and it hurts to say this, is that you always have easy access to all your windows, even the ones covered up. You just go to the start bar, and you select it, and it comes up.

Grr.. that would be a nice thing on X, anything on versiontracker?
     
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Apr 17, 2003, 12:22 AM
 
Originally posted by 11011001:
On thing I like about windows, and it hurts to say this, is that you always have easy access to all your windows, even the ones covered up. You just go to the start bar, and you select it, and it comes up.
How is this different from right-(or control-)clicking on an application's Dock icon for a fully selectable list of that app's windows?
"A scientist can discover a new star but he cannot make one. He would have to ask an engineer to do it for him."
     
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Apr 17, 2003, 03:08 PM
 
Originally posted by 970:
No animated sigs.
     
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Apr 17, 2003, 09:40 PM
 
There's also an app. called "ASM" that brings back the application menu to the upper right corner. Lists only running apps. Works OK for me -- w/ a 500 G3 iBook running OS X 10.2.5. Go to http://www.vercruesse.de
     
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Apr 18, 2003, 02:53 PM
 
Originally posted by suthercd:
There are apps that let you create multiple Docks. Search in Versiontracker for Dock. One I use is DragThing. You can create any number of Docks- I have one for Apps, one for utilities, one for scripts, one for documents, one for Project Builder projects, and one for websites. Easy to configure, drag and drop installs of the items you want.
I took your advice and downloaded Dragthing. One of the best programs I've ever used. I remember I had it for OS 9, but I never really got it for OSX (i forgot why). I suppose if Apple won't do it right in the first place then someone will fill the nitch. I only wish it was possible to kill the dock.
     
970
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Apr 18, 2003, 03:55 PM
 
Killdock

Note: Killing the Dock freezes whatever desktop wallpaper you have in place and you can't change it unless you re-enable the dock.
     
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May 12, 2003, 08:04 PM
 
Originally posted by leperkuhn:
I dont know about the rest of you, but I think it would be nice to be able to create other docks.

First off, I would like 1 dock for my favorites / whatever and a seperate dock for running applications. It would be nice if that folder was accessible from anywhere. Otherwise it's pretty useless because it takes like 3 clicks to get at the contents. In the go menu it doesn't show the contents of folders anyway.

In the other dock, ONLY running applications. I miss having the list of running apps in the corner.

I think that if a folder is in the dock it should be indexed in the background. If you put your applications folder and you have over 40 or 50 apps it takes a long time to load them, I'd say I've waited 3-5 seconds every time, which is really annoying on a dual ghz machine.

The idea of a shelf is nice also, but that's a little off topic.

I think it would be nice to have names optionally included in the dock under the icons. I have a hard time telling Safari and iTunes apart from the corner of my eye. I don't know if the names would fix this, but it would be cool anyway.

yeah a little disorganized but I have ADD.

Lep,

I'm with you on this -- probably have ADHD/ADD too, but like to have my cake and eat it.
(Process list, Dock, tabbed shelf, lot of options....)

So I tried Dragthing a while ago and found it does the trick.
Dragthing = Most useful 3rd party OSX enhancement for me.

Launch bar was also interesting, too -- may revisit that later.
     
Mac Elite
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May 12, 2003, 11:27 PM
 
I like the Dock quite a bit, but agree that OS X's window management could use some improvement.

Minimize-in-place, minimize-to-screen-edge, minimize-to-Dock-icon....? Even something like the addtion of control- or option-tab to cycle windows globally across all applications would help.

It'll be interesting to see how Apple tackles this one in Panther.

I'm hoping for Apple to come with something much more elegant than the last one.
     
   
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