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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Window sizes

unkey monkey - Jan 24, 2008 - 7:33 pm

It seems that window sizes in OSX are quite random. I open a finder window. Sometimes it is full screen. Sometimes it is tiny. Sometimes in between. Same with Word and other apps.

Any idea how this works? How can I set defaults? By application? Is there a method to the madness?


Further, what does the green dot do? I would think it would maximize a window. However, it almost never works. To me, maximize means make it the size of my screen. It usually makes the window get bigger, but rarely full-size. Once again, I can't determine what the pattern is. Sometimes it works as expected, often not.

Any insights?

DeltaMac - Jan 24, 2008 - 8:59 pm

OS X does not use the term 'maximize'.That green button on any window on your Mac is always known as "zoom', and not 'maximize'. Zoom sometimes is the same thing as Maximize on Windows, but that's quite rare. You will find as you continue to learn to use your Mac, that full screen (as in windows) is only provided on a limited type of apps. One example would be most any video player. DVD player is a good one for that.
The zoom widget will increase (zoom) the window to the size that the content of the window allows. Sometimes that may be near full screen, Other windows may not zoom much at all.
Leopard has changed the rules a little, compared to previous versions of OS X. Setting the size that a window (or folder) opens requires a simple process. Double-click on a folder of your choice. Change the size and/or position of that window, then click the red (close) widget. Now double-click that folder again. and that window will return to the size and position that you left it. Each time you re-enter that same folder from the same path, you should see the same position and size.
There's no absolute default for all windows, other than the initial defaults.

unkey monkey - Jan 26, 2008 - 11:07 pm

Thank you.