Submission details
Snow Leopard - the new minimize option has no clear indication of minimized windows
In the new Snow Leopard you have the option to minimize a window in the
application icon but as soon as you minimize it there is no clear indication that
the windows are minimized and how many are they. It is OK that the windows are minimized in the icon as in this way the dock does not get cluttered by additional icons
but there is no indication of that unless you use the F10 expose key and then all of the
windows including the hidden ones are displayed.
Maybe in a way like iPhone notification works. It displays a little circle with the
info of how many windows are minimized. The bottom half of the screenshot
is a quick preview of how could this be made.
(Update: I uploaded a new picture with a more minimalistic notification for those who
think that in this way the dock would be too cluttered. It is just a proposal of how
it could look.)
Medium
Medium
Not fixed
Discussion (9 comments)
@tut21 - I am not saying that it SHOULD be done in the way presented I am only givng a rough suggestion. The one here quickly done is maybe really looking too aggressive - i agree - it should be more minimalistic and not so visible but some kind of indication is necessary. Not all the people use expose all the time and in the old way at least you see the windows minimized in the dock but it is an unnecessary clutter.
This new method is an option. If you want visual indication of the minimized windows, don't turn on this feature. I started using this feature because I didn't want the clutter and I *like* the fact that it is completely hidden.
If they were to have some visual indication, I think it would be better implemented like a stack. ie: have a window thumbnail behind the application, or something like that... but a badge like this would clutter the dock too much.
Changed solution description.
Added new image attachment.
With this option turned on (minimized windows don't appear at the right side of the dock) what's the difference between minimize and hide? Sounds like there isn't any...? So the option is really just to merge the function of minimize and hide into the same function.
No, "Hide" applies to the entire application (ie: all windows) where as this option effectively hides single windows.
Maybe a more subtle iPhone-pages-like solution below the icon would work better, but off course for limited windows. I think the solution proposed now seems like updates to the application, and not windows..
I think something to know that application have some open windows can be a good things because even if all windows are close application can remain open...
I do have to say that Apple didn't enable this feature by default. It gave the option, so most users won't even bother, and those that do are usually geeky enough to figure it out or remember it...
I like ebaur's idea: stacked windows behind the main icon, but it might get messy and cluttered, it would depend on the implementation.
If they want to keep is simple they could just use a different color/style for the "led" under opened applications.
tut21 wrote on September 10, 2009, 2:57pm
No, because that would signify one item that requires the user's attention. The current behavior of using Exposé to make minimized windows visible is sensible.