Mac newb trying to deal with the dock

[jordanthompson]

I am trying to wrap my head around the dock...

• I would really love to have the dock showing all of the time.
• I have turned off "Automatically hide and show the Dock" in the Dock settings.

• My problem is that is there a lot of the time, but it is often hidden.
• When I bring the cursor to the bottom of the center of the screen when it is hidden, more often than not, nothing happens

What am I doing wrong?

 

[velocityg4]

Maximizing a window puts the window in true full screen mode. Hiding everything. Unlike maximize does in MS Windows. Get used to sizing various windows by dragging them.

I know maximize is the normal workflow in MS Windows. MacOS tries to emphasize multi-tasking. Having windows only take up the screen real estate necessary. While others are on the sides. It takes a while to get used to.

 

[jordanthompson]

Maximizing a window puts the window in true full screen mode. Hiding everything. Unlike maximize does in MS Windows. Get used to sizing various windows by dragging them.

I know maximize is the normal workflow in MS Windows. MacOS tries to emphasize multi-tasking. Having windows only take up the screen real estate necessary. While others are on the sides. It takes a while to get used to.

So once its maximized, how do I access the dock?
You are right - I'm coming from a Windows environment

 

[sjtidy]

So once its maximized, how do I access the dock?
You are right - I'm coming from a Windows environment

Slide the cursor down to the bottom of the screen, and then keep going, like you’re trying to push the cursor off the screen. The dock will pop up.

 

[jordanthompson]

That's my problem - I do that and SOMETIMES the dock will appear. Is there a place to move the cursor to? I've been going past the center-bottom of the screen

 

[Juicy Box]

So once its maximized, how do I access the dock?

You can quickly and easily press CMD+Tab to tab to the finder, which the dock will be there. If you don't have the app in full screen, the dock will always be there. Although, I have my dock hidden.

I hate using most stuff on my Mac in full screen. Well, not just my Mac, but when I use Windows too.

Too often when I use my Windows laptop and I am dragging windows around on the desktop, it will automatically go to full screen. It drives me nuts. I have since disabled it, but sometimes after certin Windows updates the setting reverts back.

As for my Mac, I hardly ever use full screen. Maybe just use WoW in full screen, but I can't think of any other app.
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Slide the cursor down to the bottom of the screen, and then keep going, like you’re trying to push the cursor off the screen. The dock will pop up.

That's my problem - I do that and SOMETIMES the dock will appear. Is there a place to move the cursor to? I've been going past the center-bottom of the screen

While some apps are on full screen, the dock won't appear.

 

[Altis]

Maximizing a window puts the window in true full screen mode. Hiding everything. Unlike maximize does in MS Windows. Get used to sizing various windows by dragging them.

I know maximize is the normal workflow in MS Windows. MacOS tries to emphasize multi-tasking. Having windows only take up the screen real estate necessary. While others are on the sides. It takes a while to get used to.

Window management is, IMO, the weakest aspect of macOS. I don't believe it's "to emphasize multi-tasking", or they'd have proper window snapping like every other OS.

OP, consider getting the app BetterSnapTool as that allows you to have windows snap to maximize without going "Full Screen" (which creates its own desktop "Space") so the dock will remain fixed, as well as side and corner snapping. It's the only way I was able to get on with macOS at all. Manually sizing and placing arbitrarily-sized windows is pretty miserable, especially if you're using a trackpad.

 

[jordanthompson]

So I think I have found my problem:impatience. I need to force myself to really drag past the bottom of the screen!

thanks to everyone who had great suggestions.

 

[velocityg4]

So I think I have found my problem:impatience. I need to force myself to really drag past the bottom of the screen!

thanks to everyone who had great suggestions.

I would note. If you drag the mouse to the bottom and keep moving around. Such as side to side or trying to drag down further. The dock will not appear. You have to drag to the bottom and stop.

 

[chabig]

Window management is, IMO, the weakest aspect of macOS.

That's an interesting take. I find macOS window management to be better than any system out there. With Expose, keyboard shortcuts to cycle through apps and windows, Mission Control, and Spaces, just about all options are covered.

 

[Altis]

That's an interesting take. I find macOS window management to be better than any system out there. With Expose, keyboard shortcuts to cycle through apps and windows, Mission Control, and Spaces, just about all options are covered.

Those exist in other operating systems. What macOS lacks is good window positioning management, namely snapping and maximizing without fullscreen -- both of which can be done using BetterSnapTool, but it's inexcusable that they aren't included by default.

 

[Silvrbill]

I sometimes have the same problem with the dock not appearing after dragging the cursor to the bottom of the screen.
My solution has been to move the cursor back onto the screen, click anywhere on the screen and then drag the cursor to the bottom again. Seems to pulls the dock up every time I do that.

 

[dubar]

Dual monitors or full screen apps can screw up your pointers "focus". A good example would be scrolling in one window while entering commands in another. ^ This guy is correct about clicking to bring focus back before coaxing the dock back.