Exiting applications does not quit them

jolson · #1 March 6th, 2005, 09:58 AM

Hi All,

I recently got a mac and have a question about exiting applications. I'm running OS X 10.3.8 and when I click on the red X to exit a program it seems to simply close the window and the application remains running in the background.

In order for the application to shut down I have to click on the menu at the top and then select "Quit <application>". Is this normal behaviour and is there a way to modify it so the application fully quits?

Thanks
Joey

bobw · #2 March 6th, 2005, 10:01 AM

The red button only closes the window, it isn't intended to quit the app.

Command-Q will also quit the front app.

jolson · #3 March 6th, 2005, 10:13 AM

Awesome, thanks.

Joey

Decado · #4 March 6th, 2005, 01:27 PM

this is one of the fundamental differences between windows and mac.
advantages:
1) you wont quit safari etc by accident when you just want to close some windows.
2) an application with all windows closed usually uses none or very very little of the processor, but opens instantly. (it's like the compuers "sleep-mode" versus shutdown.
3) it is more intelligent. if you close a window you close a window, not the application. you may want to close all windows in Preview, par exemple, but have it ready to open other images in. or you may want to close all windows in safari and the use the Open-command to open a webbpage you have saved on your hard drive.

Lt Major Burns · #5 March 6th, 2005, 08:12 PM

macOS is built from the ground up to be stable with multiple programs running, without slowing the computer down. the end result is you never close programs, only windows.
right now, i have photoshop, illustrator, quicktime, preview, iphoto, itunes, messenger, safari and activity monitor running. it's been like this for days....

the result is that photoshop etc [pro apps] open instantly with out the 2min load times from scratch. it's good.

get into the habit of leaving everything open!

Lt Major Burns · #6 March 6th, 2005, 08:15 PM

sorry, postscript:

MacOSX this is - mac OS 9 in a way triggered this design philosophy because it was so crap at multitasking - if you wanted to work in illustrator [for example], you had to shut down photoshop [or any other pro app] first. it was a nightmare!