wordmunger said:
Yeah, maybe. But I don't use Google as often as the Dock. And even the dock kinda sucks for looking for lesser-used applications. I'm *still* not 100 percent sure that the dock is better than the good ol' apple menu. Sometimes a word says a lot more than an itty-bitty picture.
Indeed. I have a real love-hate relationship with the Dock. It has so many usability problems that I really can't say I think it's a great implementation. Missing labels, large size, limited contents, you name it. The Dock does sell OS X, though, as new users are always loving it.
The magnification feature does serve a real purpose, however. If the dock is small the icons are easier to hit if they enlarge. Also, some users (especially elderly ones who don't have the best fine motoric skills anymore) have a tendency to miss the correct icon, so enlarging helps them quite a bit also with drag-and-drop.
The Dock is a nice idea and very clean. Even though it has problems it's still a lot better than the Start-menu. What is missing is an launcher app, one that would access all the apps on your HD, not just a bunch of favorites. I suppose Spotlight will remedy the problem, even though I still think new and expert users would benefit from a dedicated app launcher.