[lngtones]

For the sake of documentation, I think SystemPreferences.app now quits when you close its window in 10.3.3.

[ebsidohw]

Originally posted by lngtones:
For the sake of documentation, I think SystemPreferences.app now quits when you close its window in 10.3.3.

its been doing that since 10.3

I'm hoping apple will make applications quit if you close all the windows in use.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by ebsidohw:
its been doing that since 10.3

I'm hoping apple will make applications quit if you close all the windows in use.

They just recently changed it for iCal and Address Book, because people were complaining that the application quit when they closed the window.

I hope they continue to adopt behavior according to where it makes sense.

-s*

[Millennium]

Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
I hope they continue to adopt behavior according to where it makes sense.

Agreed; the operative term being where it makes sense. When not dealing with multiple documents (or document-like things, such as Web pages), apps shouldn't close with their last window, because there is still plenty more that can be done. Granted, more apps should show a window of 'Starting Points' (as AppleWorks calls them) when no document windows are open, if only to provide extra visual feedback that the app is still there.

Utility apps, though, like System Preferences, Address Book, and iCal, are another matter entirely. When the window defines the app's functionality, as it does in these apps, then certainly the app should quit when the last window is closed.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by Millennium:
Utility apps, though, like System Preferences, Address Book, and iCal, are another matter entirely. When the window defines the app's functionality, as it does in these apps, then certainly the app should quit when the last window is closed.

Well, let's have a look:

System Preferences - okay. Should quit. It does.

Address Book - linkable to my mobile phone, shows and protocols incoming calls, allows me to reply. Needs to remain open even when window is closed to do this. It does. (Apart from that, but this may be my personal usage profile, Address Book is one of the most-accessed apps on my computer, and having to re-launch it constantly is not desirable.

iCal - Number one iCal-related thread topic on MacNN: "whinewhinewhineiCaliconintheDockshowswrongdateWTF howdoichangethis?" Simple: Keep it running, even when all windows are closed. It does.

My two �-cent.

-s*

[Horsepoo!!!]

No apps should quit automatically. None. Period!

Some of them are invaluable if they have a Dock icon that updates or have a Dock icon menu that has options beyond the default Show/Hide/Quit.

None of the apps do any harm being launched except by making the Dock smaller. All 1-window non-document-based apps like Address Book, iCal, System Prefs re-open the main window when the Dock icon is clicked. Well...System Prefs used to...now it just quits as others have mentionned.

[hudson1]

System Preferences is not really an "application" and therefore should quit when the window is closed. In some ways you could think of it as just another (though highly specialized) Finder window.

[Millennium]

Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
Address Book - linkable to my mobile phone, shows and protocols incoming calls, allows me to reply. Needs to remain open even when window is closed to do this. It does. (Apart from that, but this may be my personal usage profile, Address Book is one of the most-accessed apps on my computer, and having to re-launch it constantly is not desirable.

What you describe is, frankly, functionality which needs to be split off into its own daemon, rather than a part of AddressBook itself. Some of it might be rolled into the iSync Helper daemon, actually.

iCal - Number one iCal-related thread topic on MacNN: "whinewhinewhineiCaliconintheDockshowswrongdateWTF howdoichangethis?" Simple: Keep it running, even when all windows are closed. It does.

Yeah; I'll have to admit, making the icon a calendar page was one of the dumber decisions that Apple has made. However, this too could be split off into a daemon, updating the icon even when iCal isn't running.

The problem is that too many apps are mixing in functionality which doesn't belong, thus the need to keep them running to perform basic tasks. Splitting the "always-on" functionality into a daemon really is the better way to go, so that the interface can stay out of the user's way.

[JKT]

Originally posted by Millennium:
Yeah; I'll have to admit, making the icon a calendar page was one of the dumber decisions that Apple has made. However, this too could be split off into a daemon, updating the icon even when iCal isn't running.

Which is precisely what has been done - you can quit iCal and its Dock icon will continue to update. The problem is that Apple has been a little dumb in that you must always launch iCal at least once per session first (and then quit it if you so choose) before this will occur. It would have been more sensible for them to add an iCal preference to launch a background helper app at login that performed this function regardless of the launch state of iCal itself.

[jmiddel]

Closing or quitting an app, utility or prefs is equally easy, as the Q and W keys are right next to one another. I'd like the choice, seeing that it's no inconvenience to anyone and that I prefer, eg, prefs to be running with closed window so that I can access them quicker then relaunching them without having another collapsed toolbar on my screen.


Give me freedom or give me Microsoft.

[Truepop]

I don't know what apple is trying to pull but I don't like apps that quit by themselves. I think too many switchers complain that their computers start to slow down after using them or something because they are use the apps closing when the last window close like in windows.

I agree with Horsepoo!!! and wish all apps would stay open unless I quit the app.

and I don't like that system preferences is an app. why can't it be a preference window like the finder has a prefs window. I don't remember the last time I clicked it in the dock, I normally just go to menu.

[Telusman]

Personally i think that a lot of apps *should* close when the window is closed, all single-window applications to be more specific.

iCal, definately should, many's the time i've seen that icon in my dock when I thought i had gotten rid of it.

iMovie, single window interface, this app should quit when the close button is clicked (does it? i've not got it installed)

iPhoto, thankfully does quit... just as it should.

System Preferences, shouldn't even be an app, it should be a folder full of independantly launchable preference applets. Or a single window extension of the finder interface, but it closes by itself, so i'm not really complaining.

iTunes... this ones debatable, my taste is as follows, if i don't have that player window open, chances are i want the app to die along with it.

Safari, with the advent of tabs, personally i'd like the application to quit once i've closed the close box, like mozilla does on Windows. Tabs allow me to have many windows open at once and if i've closed all the tabs, i've probably finished browsing for the time being.

Personally I think there should be checkboxes in the preferences for some of these apps that can toggle application behaviour. I don't consider it windows like if the app closes when the window does, but chances are if i've closed the window, i'm done with the application.

With the speedy launch times of the current OS and it's associated applications, it wouldn't be a crime for many of the apps that we use everyday to quit when you've clicked the close box, or at least give the option to toggle such behaviour on and off.

- Telusman

Originally posted by Truepop:
I don't know what apple is trying to pull but I don't like apps that quit by themselves. I think too many switchers complain that their computers start to slow down after using them or something because they are use the apps closing when the last window close like in windows.

I agree with Horsepoo!!! and wish all apps would stay open unless I quit the app.

and I don't like that system preferences is an app. why can't it be a preference window like the finder has a prefs window. I don't remember the last time I clicked it in the dock, I normally just go to menu.

[SS3 GokouX]

Though I agree with with many of the apps that should quit when all windows all closed, iTunes definitely should not quit when closing all of its windows. Many people use 3rd party tools to change songs or show the current song (Synergy, like 20 billion different Konfabulator widgets, etc.).

Same goes for Safari, I'll leave it open for week or two at a time. I may not be browsing all the time, but I'd rather not wait the second or two for it to re-open (laziness!) if someone sends me a url in Adium.

It's always bothered me that Address Book doesn't quit when I close its window. But as Spheric Harlot said, it needs to stay open for some functionality (which really should be a daemon instead), so I guess that's okay for now. Apple really should split that off into a daemon though...

I'd hate to see the day Adobe makes Photoshop automatically quit you close its windows.

It is kinda silly that some apps stay open and others close without much warning, but for some apps it really does just make sense.

[Spheric Harlot]

So this discussion goes to show:

There is no way Apple is going to please everybody.

C'est la vie.

-s*

[southtdi]

Easy way to solve it though. Just make it a preference for each application then everyone wold be happy since you could set it the way you want. for those that just want it to be system wide just offer it as a system wide option in system perferences.

[Developer]

Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
System Preferences - okay. Should quit. It does.

No, it shouldn't. System Preferences has a Dock menu with all preference panes that only works when it's running.