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OSX dock enhancement idea
- Thread starter The Reaper
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Hmmm...it's a nice idea. But I think there are more important things that should be concentrated on 
Well, actually the question is: where is the light coming from? If the light is above the desktop in the upper left hand corner, then a shadow behavior as described above would be contradictory to the whole desktop/items above desktop relationship.
If the shadow would move away from the item that would mean that the light is straight above the icon and the desktop is actually not in front of us, but rather in a stretched horizontal way, right underneath the icon, not behind it. So in a sense, the shadow going with the icon is actually correct. I don't know if any of this makes sense, but to me the whole idea is, whatever.
As said before me, there are more important things to concentrate on.
If the shadow would move away from the item that would mean that the light is straight above the icon and the desktop is actually not in front of us, but rather in a stretched horizontal way, right underneath the icon, not behind it. So in a sense, the shadow going with the icon is actually correct. I don't know if any of this makes sense, but to me the whole idea is, whatever.
As said before me, there are more important things to concentrate on.
this is not true. currently, the shadows of most icons (internet explorer, finder etc) are consistent with a light directly above, and slightly in front of the screen. take a look at the drop shadows on any open window. when the icons move, the shadow should move in the opposite direction.
note: i just realized that if the dock surface is not supposed to be 'shiny', but is more like paper, then the shadow should simply become more diffuse (softened and lightened), rather than move up or down. however, given that the supposed 'light' is also slighly in front of the screen, these 'softened' shadows should move back slightly, giving the appearance of moving slightly UP, but not as much as the icon itself. in other words, the icon moves up faster than it's shadow. so i guess i was a bit wrong.
oh goodness. this is actually a feature you'd like to see added in Panther? everyone is entitles to their ideas but c'mon man. don't we have enough eye candy slowing down this OS already?
The dock is such a terrible UI, maybe we would all be better off if the minds that it brought it to us spent the rest of their time wrestling with correct placement/movement of shadows and the real work was outsourced to someone with half a clue.
I have an idea for the dock. There are many hacks that put the dock to one side or the other on the screen. Apple should let us do this with the dock but take it one step further.
Apple should set up the dock so the user can put it on whatever side they want and in any location on that side. Meaning, if you want to put it three forths up the screen you can do that. Also, if you want to put the dock at a corner, the dividing line with the trash can on it can be put on the adjacent (sp?) side. For instance, I have my section with all the programs and after the dividing line I have my games folder, application folder, home, and trash can. If I set my dock on the left side of the screen at the corner, my applications will be going up and down along the left side and my folders will go on the bottom side all meeting at that corner.
Another annoyance is the removable disks and desktop items that only line up on the right side. I would rather my dock be on that side but because those icons are there, I choose to have it on the left. Apple should implement a way to switch which side those icons appear on or have them automatically appear in the dock upon mount.
Apple should set up the dock so the user can put it on whatever side they want and in any location on that side. Meaning, if you want to put it three forths up the screen you can do that. Also, if you want to put the dock at a corner, the dividing line with the trash can on it can be put on the adjacent (sp?) side. For instance, I have my section with all the programs and after the dividing line I have my games folder, application folder, home, and trash can. If I set my dock on the left side of the screen at the corner, my applications will be going up and down along the left side and my folders will go on the bottom side all meeting at that corner.
Another annoyance is the removable disks and desktop items that only line up on the right side. I would rather my dock be on that side but because those icons are there, I choose to have it on the left. Apple should implement a way to switch which side those icons appear on or have them automatically appear in the dock upon mount.
That is annoying--I used to try everything to move the HD icons so they weren't stacked vertically on the right hand side, but alas, I gave up and just accepted it.
I wonder if Microsoft had put their icons on the right side, and Apple on the left, if people would be b*tching abt them being on the left.
Apple put them on the left for a very good reason and it's one of my FAVORITE reasons to own a Mac...
Most of your App windows have their upper most corners in the upper left... so it leaves your icons on your desktop to be accessed quick and easy.
If you are really having an issue, do what my boyfriend does...uses Finder preferences to NOT SHOW ANY DRIVES on the desktop and then uses URL=http://monkeyfood.com/software/docJector/]DocJector[/URL] to eject volumes and the finder to access them.
It's funny to me how often we former PC users let our old habits affect our current actions.
MacBoyX
Apple put them on the left for a very good reason and it's one of my FAVORITE reasons to own a Mac...
Most of your App windows have their upper most corners in the upper left... so it leaves your icons on your desktop to be accessed quick and easy.
If you are really having an issue, do what my boyfriend does...uses Finder preferences to NOT SHOW ANY DRIVES on the desktop and then uses URL=http://monkeyfood.com/software/docJector/]DocJector[/URL] to eject volumes and the finder to access them.
It's funny to me how often we former PC users let our old habits affect our current actions.
MacBoyX