iSights.org

Interfaces: Changing The Dock's Status Lights

One feature I plan to write from time to time will be filed under the category of Interfaces. Here I'll focus on points in the OS X interface that Apple got right, got wrong, or could just stand a little... well, let's call it tweaking.

And no, it's not just ranting. There's a method to my madness.

First up are the little blue K-Mart Special lights that Apple added to Leopard's new Dock to replace the old black triangles formerly used to represent a running application.

Why Leopard’s Stacks Fail... And What To Do About It

New to OS X Leopard, "Stacks" has fans and foes alike, with questions on whether or not it's an improvement on Tiger's docked folders and popup menus hotly debated.

With a new post entitled "Why Leopard’s Stacks Fails", and with an "open letter" calling for Apple to bring back the old right-click hierarchical-menu implementation, the site StringFoo obviously falls into the foe category.

Why? Let's take a look.

Quick Tip: Better Dock Icons For Stacks

Don't like the way the Dock's overly shy Applications folder likes to cover itself with the first application it can find?

Here's a quick and easy solution that also works for the other "special" folders in your life, like Documents, Downloads, and Utilities.

Quick Tip: Eliminate the "Glass" Dock in Leopard

Some people, including myself, like the new "Glass" dock in OS X Leopard. Others can't stand the thing. If you belong to the later group, thank Michel Jansen, who discovered that it's now possible to change the dock's appearance with a well-typed system command.