How to avoid the Dock

[cos]

Much as I like OS X's user interface in general, I don't like the Dock.

• It's a clunky way to start programs, hunting up and down with your eye through a bunch of similar icons until you find the one you want ... or accidentally click one whose icon is similar.


• As a way of seeing what you currently have running, it's quite an eyestrain - not only do you have to identify the icons, but the only difference between what's running and what's not is the presence of that little dot.


• When you want to select a running program using the dock, it's really easy to accidentally click a few pixels off and start some other thing you didn't mean to start.


• It's a waste of screen space.

If use OS X and you're dissatisfied with the Dock too, here are my simple tips for conveniently avoiding it:

1. Start applications using Spotlight
   
   Spotlight is the full text search you get when you click the magnifying class at the top right. If you start typing the name of a program, the program will by default be the first match, and highlighted. Hitting enter opens whatever's highlighted. And the keyboard shortcut to get to Spotlight without clicking on the magnifying glass is CMD-Space.
   
   Put all these things together, and the easy way to start any application is: appname
   
   Usually you don't have to type the whole name. For example, I start Safari with saf
   


2. Application Menu Switcher
   
   A really simple utility that restores a piece of the Mac OS 9 interface that OS X did away with:
   http://www.vercruesse.de/software/asm
   
   Costs a little bit to register, but well worth it.
   
   Once you install it, I recommend changing one of the defaults. Go into System Preferences, and in the ASM pane, change the "Menu Title" setting to "Application Name".
   
   You'll get a menu at the top right, just to the left of the spotlight icon, that lists all currently running applications - and no others, just the ones that are running. The currently running app will be the menu name. Select any other app from the menu to bring it to the foreground. Unlike the dock, you can't accidentally start something unintentionally from here.
   


3. Hide the dock.
   
   Now you have:
   - An easy way to start any application with a few keystrokes.
   - An easy way to see what's running.
   - An easy way to switch to any of the running applications.
   
   Who needs the Dock now? Go to System Preferences, and in the Dock pane, check "Automatically hide and show the Dock". It'll still be there, but only appear when you push the mouse pointer to the edge of the screen where the Dock is. Now you can ignore it most of the time, and easily pop it up if you happen to want it.
   

Comments

[penk.livejournal.com]

I frankly find the dock useful, attractive, and productive. The applications I use the most are all there, ones I don't use I simply remove.

To see a list of running applications and easily switch between them, use command-tab. No need for a third party app.

If you find it using up space, enable auto-hide. No more used screenspace. It just pops up when you need it.

If you find yourself clicking on the wrong icon, you have too many icons in your dock, or you don't have magnification turned up. Use that to make sure you're on the right icon.

I'm amused that you recommend the 'menu switcher' to switch running applications... is Command-Tab not sufficient to list all the running apps and hot-switch between them?

You might want to resize the dock down, or use auto-hiding,

[alandd.livejournal.com]

I mostly agree, but I find that magnification is the -reason- I occasionally hit the wrong icon. (Usually when screen sharing to my dad's computer 200 miles away. I'm not sure if it's the network lag, or the fact that I have magnification turned off, that's why I never have this problem on my own. Probably the lag.)

@Cos, I'm a HUGE fan of Spotlight, cmd-tab, etc. but what I like about the dock is being able to drag files onto folders (which I have on the right side) and apps. Hiding it + only having minimal icons (I have a lot, but they're all ones I use regularly) makes it very nice to use.

[cos]

I keep the folders I want to drag stuff into along one side of my screen anyway; no need to put them on the Dock, it doesn't make dragging things into them any easier as far as I can tell. You're right about dragging stuff into apps - that's the one thing I still use the (hidden) dock for. Only if the app's window isn't there on the screen to drag into.

[alandd.livejournal.com]

I also keep some folders on the screen, but they're often blocked by full-screen windows...

[cos]

I really really don't like cmd-tab, and almost never use it. I think it's because I feel so not in control with it, because it's a temporary popup that's controlled by the pressing and releasing of keys. Just looking at it causes you to switch apps; if you want it to be a no-op you have to actually think about it. Ugh! Yuck! I avoid the thing at all costs, and recoil when I accidentally bring it up.

In any case, cmd-tab acts differently enough that it's not a good replacement. ASM is much much more usable, unless you have a well-established cmd-tab habit already.

If you find yourself clicking on the wrong icon on the dock, it just means you've used the dock often enough that probabilistically, it'll happen. I have never found any dock arrangement that makes it not happen. It doesn't matter how big the icons are when some of them look so similar. And no possible combination of things I typically have running and things I very often want to start is ever going to not be "too many" by your metric. It's just a sucky concept to combine both of those; looking at what you have running should remain separate from deciding to start something new.

If you like the dock, feel free to ignore all of the above tips, since they're not for you :) IMO the Dock is awful, but I don't care to convince people who like it. I'm writing for the many people who don't like it, and the even larger number who've just never considered it but would find live easier if they avoided it.

P.S. I've always hidden the dock, as you can see from this post.

[sparr0.livejournal.com]

My problem with the Dock, as present in OSX and Ubuntu, is that the apps that I start the most often and the apps that I have running the most often have little overlap.

Fortunately the solution in Ubuntu is easy. Run in Ubuntu Classic mode. Problem solved. Dock gone, taskbar restored.