Maximize button in Yosemite sucks!

[macrem]

In addition to Zoom being intelligent vs. Maximize just creating a bunch of useless white space (try maximizing a webpage on a wide screen), as I have mentioned since Beta 1...

Also I really dislike this change of combining Maximize with the Zoom button because when it's time to Un-maximize a window:

- before Yosemite you could hit a big target (square blue button) at the top right edge of the screen. Being on the edge makes it a lot easier to hit fast.

- with Yosemite, you have to go to the top edge of the screen to make the maximize button visible, then move the pointer back down (& often all the way across the screen to the left) to hit a small floating target (the un-maximize button)

Wasn't it better before for everyone?

 

[Merode]

I think that neither solution is better. Both work but we got used to having it on the right hand side.

After one-two months I guess we'll stop to care. It's cleaner now.

 

[macrem]

When Apple first introduced Maximize, their cleverness amazed me because they pulled it off by finding a unique way of making Maximize a somewhat useful feature in some cases (like a photo that takes up the entire screen + gets its own screen maximized) without taking anything away from Zoom. Now they bury Zoom and even make Maximize less useful usability-wise just to have a 'cleaner UI' by one non-obtrusive button...

Thanks for feedback, but sorry I disagree after using Yosemite for several months, it's still a pain. I think they're ruining a good thing. I've been providing related feedback directly to Apple since beta 1.

This and a few other things are making Yosemite the first OS X version I might not upgrade to on the machines I do actual work on.

 

[Liam555]

Personally i've gotten use to it now. It feels less cluttered and easier for new users to understand. Takes a bit of getting use to for the rest of us though.

 

[AirThis]

Yeah... it sucks...

However, ^CMD F stills works most of the time though...

 

[Cougarcat]

I'm just relieved the old zoom behavior is there via option clicking maximize (or double-clicking the title bar.) I wish I could reverse the option click via a terminal command...

 

[macrem]

I'm just relieved the old zoom behavior is there via option clicking maximize (or double-clicking the title bar.) I wish I could reverse the option click via a terminal command...

I've been looking for the same thing. I don't use Maximize much but when I do, it's also a pain to un-maximize now, so this change looks like a big lose-lose functionality wise.

 

[SmOgER]

Just set the fullscreen on/off shortcut for 3-4-5 finger trackpad click with magicprefs and you are good to go.

The way I have it:
3 fingers swipe: select text/drag windows
4 fingers click: full screen on/off
5 fingers click: minimize the window

 

[colourfastt]

Just set the fullscreen on/off shortcut for 3-4-5 finger trackpad click with magicprefs and you are good to go.

The way I have it:
3 fingers swipe: select text/drag windows
4 fingers click: full screen on/off
5 fingers click: minimize the window

You might be interested to know that Minis and iMacs don't have trackpads.

 

[jbarley]

with Yosemite, you have to go to the top edge of the screen to make the maximize button visible, then move the pointer back down (& often all the way across the screen to the left) to hit a small floating target (the un-maximize button)

Or simply do the obvious and press the 'ESC' key.

 

[KALLT]

I prefer having both buttons as well. The functionality is simply different and I don't like having to use shortcuts to get the same result. I have the suspicion that this is mostly an aesthetic choice to get rid of that additional button. It's probably not a wise decision from a UX standpoint, unless people actually notice that the green button's previous functionality has been replaced. I suspect that many people will likely think that the fullscreen mode has been removed entirely.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

The old behaviour is done with a double click on the title bar isn't it?

 

[jbarley]

The old behaviour is done with a double click on the title bar isn't it?

Yes that gives the same result as the pre-Yosemite Green expand button.

 

[swingerofbirch]

The old behaviour is done with a double click on the title bar isn't it?

Oh that's not good for me. I have that set to minimize windows—can you still set it to do that? That's been there since OS 9 (maybe 8 even) where you could double-click the title bar to collapse the window—something I miss.

 

[macrem]

Or simply do the obvious and press the 'ESC' key.

I agree it can be useful especially when actively using the keyboard although we're talking about the UI and you're talking about keys which can indeed be quite useful, but are not obvious.

While switching windows in reading mode, I may have an even harder time getting reoriented in front of the keyboard.

The top-right corner of my screen is my Mission Control hot corner to show all windows. With Mavericks sliding between showing all Windows and the unmaximize button is a tiny distance from the corner (the easiest target on the screen) along the top edge (the next best thing to corner) a few mm's to hit a big enough edge target. The edge makes the target infinite on one side.

With Yosemite I go all the way back and forth across the screen & have to make sure I drag along the top edge to keep the un-maximize button visible, then aim to hit a small floating (finite on all sides) target beneath the edge (the unmaximize button).

This is part of the essence of what an OS should do right. Making the UI "cleaner" by one button is much further down on my list & burying zoom is another issue related to this change.

I think they made a terrible & unnecessary trade off. At the very least there should be an option to switch it back, even if such a solution involves using a terminal command... Some people may resort to third party hacks (of questionable origin).

This helps tip me over (for the first time ever in the history of OS X updates) into the "sticking with the old version" camp.

 

[SmOgER]

You might be interested to know that Minis and iMacs don't have trackpads.

Magic mouse? External trackpad?

It all comes down to what OP is using as his main machine and what are his peripherals, and he might need that functionality solely for his rMBP.

 

[macrem]

Personally i've gotten use to it now. It feels less cluttered and easier for new users to understand. Takes a bit of getting use to for the rest of us though.

I have to admit I'm getting used to it too now. I still think Mavericks way is better. I'm adapting (thanks to helpful advice in the thread) as follows:
- changed double-clicking the title bar to zoom (use cmd-m to minimize)
- moved my All Windows hot corner to the upper-left edge
- use ESC key to unmaximize

 

[azpc]

Suggestion

My clients have been asking for an option to define the default behavior of the green zoom button since 2007. Every year they ask if this "problem" has finally been fixed.

My clients would love to have the following options in System Preferences:

- Maximize for content (Traditional Setting)
- Full Window (Window occupies everything but dock and menu bar)
- Full Screen (The new default setting in Yosemite)

How should we go about requesting these changes? May I suggest:

First, contact Tim Cook and Craig Federighi on twitter. (They are easy to find)

Second, send Apple feedback here:

https://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

-----------------------------------------------------

Another frequent request I receive:

Ability to define the default opening window size.

- Open Full Screen
- Open Full Window

If these options are unchecked then the application opens in a normal window.

This setting could be easily placed in the Get Info option for each application icon.

 

[X-X]

Or simply do the obvious and press the 'ESC' key.

USELSS... it's not consistent.

Apple Mail or Safari ... pressing escape will get out of full screen mode.

But in many other apps like Notes for example this doesn't work. You have to use control-command-F

A shortcut that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't, is useless.

In terms of usability they completely screwed this up.

 

[n1tut]

Or simply do the obvious and press the 'ESC' key.

Did anybody other than me actually read this?

tut

 

[Tech198]

your not alone.

Personally, a separate maximize and full screen.. with no hidden short you must hold down to have the same effect.

I guess it will take time. but personally, if Apple wants hidden menu items, keep it to that, and don't bring the same into where it really matters to the user.

I'm still using Mavericks for now, but am using 10.10 in VM for now.

 

[SomeMacGuy]

Pretty inconvenient for people with multiple external displays that are used to using that button to resize apps when they drag between screens. Would be nice to have a way to change this back permanently...

 

[samirpatel]

I'm with OP the maximize button along with other UI elements, the font etc... suck! I don't have a time machine backup otherwise I would have downgraded a long time ago.
I suppose you get what you pay for, and in this case we didn't pay anything for this hunk-a-****! Good job apple, you have managed to piss off droves of your loyal customers!

 

[HenryH]

Yeah it's horrible. You can change the icons back using a script I wrote here if you have a Mavericks backed up somewhere.

I don't supposed there's some preferences or plist that can be changed or something to revert this behaviour? Or some other way to hack it? I hate this maximize button enters fullscreen behaviour as it looks crap and slows everything down switching between different programs. The double-click is not the worst idea, but doesn't work in a lot of programs, e.g. Chrome & Firefox. And its nearly impossible to double click the title bar in Firefox if you have a bunch of tabs open.

 

[Sym0]

I have BetterSnap installed, highly configurable but i basically gives you MS Windows snap features in OS X, so move the window to the edge and it snaps to 1/2 or full screen window, then maximise is just for full screen app work space.

You can also do snap to centre or anything you like, really handy.