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[tyler69]

Is there a way to change the behavior from closing the app to hiding it in the dock while keeping audio running? This would be consistent with other macOS players and with macOS apps in general..

[Awesome Donkey]

If this is even considered, I do hope it's optional. A lot of the apps I use completely close the app instead of keeping it running in the dock (like the text editor, terminal, etc. does).

[tyler69]

My question "is there a way to change" implied that I'd like to see it as an optional setting because of people liking that behavior. You're right, some system apps like text editor and terminal stay in the dock when hitting X. I find this confusing, no idea what Apple's intention is behind this. Iirc games also close when hitting on the X but I can't recall that a media player I've been using does this.

[blgentry]

That seems a little strange to me.  The OS has a specific minimize button.  Are you asking for some other behavior like minimizing without going to the minimize area?  If so, why?

Brian.

[tyler69]

If this seems strange, you probably do not use macOS or haven't used it for long?

Usually if you click on the X in the top left corner, the application hides behind it's icon in the dock (it's still active indicated by a small dot behind this icon). Hitting the dash (the middle button of those three buttons on the top left) minimizes a window into the dock (so you still see the application next to the application icon). That's how macOS apps (and all macOS media players I've used) usually* work.

So in a nutshell: For me (and probably for more macOS users -especially when they are not used to MS windows), this behaviour seems strange. MC does not integrate well into macOS from a UX perspective.

*there are some system apps (and third party apps, like games?!) that behave like MC is behaving though.. probably for inconsistency reasons..One can read this topic up on the internet.

[Awesome Donkey]

Not all apps do this though, it's mostly Apple apps that I've seen that stay running in the dock after clicking the close button (in addition to a few third-party apps). A lot of others don't do this thankfully - I wish I could disable it still running in the dash after clicking X, to be honest... though I know there are apps for that.

[tyler69]

Let's just agree that on macOS the usual behaviour when hitting X is that the application hides behind it's icon but won't close and there are also applications that close completely (no more dot behind the application icon, like MC).
On windows the expected behavior is the other way round: hitting X closes the application completely while some applications minimize to tray when hitting X.

So both OS's are not consistent on what X does, however in general applicationss have their OS-expected behavior in my opinion.

Anyway, my question still stands: can this behavior be made optional?
 

[blgentry]

If this seems strange, you probably do not use macOS or haven't used it for long?

It's not called macOS any more and hasn't been forever.  I've been using a Mac daily for almost 10 years.

I'm not a big Windows guy.  I dislike Windows and only use it when I'm forced to.  So I'm not coming from the perspective of a long time Windows person who is trying to make everything seem like Windows.  I've been using different computer OSes for more than 25 years.

However, I realize that I'm not a typical Mac user.  I don't really buy into their whole ecosystem.  Nor do I try every new UI feature that they come up with.  I'm also not really into the concept of having a totally clean looking work space with only one app showing at a time.  I'm perfectly comfortable with 5 or 6 apps open at once, with the one I'm using on top.  I alt-tab between apps constantly.  ...and alt-~ between windows in the same app (like web browser windows).

So the idea of minimizing or "full screening" apps is rather foreign to me.  It never occurs to me to do that. So, despite having used a Mac for 10 years, I've never tried pressing the X on a media player expecting it to keep playing.  So I just tried some experiments.

VLC and Itunes both react like you say:  The window disappears but the app keeps working.  Bringing the window back from the window menu lets you see where you were.  With other apps like web browsers, text edit, Photoshop, etc it closes the window you were working in and it's *gone*.  You can't bring it back without opening the document (or web sites) you were on before.  Which is what you expect.

So this is just a media player thing.  It's not a generalized OSX behavior.  Your observation and request are no less valid.  You just make it sound like every app works this way and they don't.  Just media players.  So maybe MC should do this too.

Is this your most important thing that you would like the MC team to work on for Mac?  I feel like there are far more important things to bring to the Mac version other than "make it more like a native app".  I could care less how the menus work, whether it goes "full screen" or if this minimize on X behavior works.  But apparently there are people who think MC for Mac is "done" except for the Mac specific UI fixes.  You're certainly not the first person to ask for this and other more Mac-like behaviors. 

I just don't see why it would be important compared to something like making Video playback features work closer to the Windows version.

On the other hand, no one at JRiver cares what I think.     I'm sure they consider all of these requests and try to pick the ones that will satisfy the most people and draw the most people to buy or upgrade their MC licenses.  Maybe making MC more "native Mac-like" would draw more new customers.  I know it's look and feel put me off at first because it's so non-mac-like .  It's been so long I had almost forgotten that my initial reaction to MC was negative.

Brian.

[JimH]

On windows the expected behavior is the other way round: hitting X closes the application completely while some applications minimize to tray when hitting X.

So both OS's are not consistent on what X does ...

JRiver is. 

You're assuming that people use one OS or the other, and not both.

[tyler69]

It's not called macOS any more and hasn't been forever.  I've been using a Mac daily for almost 10 years.

Oh, I thought it has been called OSX and is now called macOS..might have confused things.

I'm not a big Windows guy.  I dislike Windows and only use it when I'm forced to.  So I'm not coming from the perspective of a long time Windows person who is trying to make everything seem like Windows.  I've been using different computer OSes for more than 25 years.

However, I realize that I'm not a typical Mac user.  I don't really buy into their whole ecosystem.  Nor do I try every new UI feature that they come up with.  I'm also not really into the concept of having a totally clean looking work space with only one app showing at a time.  I'm perfectly comfortable with 5 or 6 apps open at once, with the one I'm using on top.  I alt-tab between apps constantly.  ...and alt-~ between windows in the same app (like web browser windows).

So the idea of minimizing or "full screening" apps is rather foreign to me.  It never occurs to me to do that. So, despite having used a Mac for 10 years, I've never tried pressing the X on a media player expecting it to keep playing.  So I just tried some experiments.

VLC and Itunes both react like you say:  The window disappears but the app keeps working.  Bringing the window back from the window menu lets you see where you were.  With other apps like web browsers, text edit, Photoshop, etc it closes the window you were working in and it's *gone*.  You can't bring it back without opening the document (or web sites) you were on before.  Which is what you expect.

So this is just a media player thing.  It's not a generalized OSX behavior.  Your observation and request are no less valid.  You just make it sound like every app works this way and they don't.  Just media players.  So maybe MC should do this too.

Is this your most important thing that you would like the MC team to work on for Mac?  I feel like there are far more important things to bring to the Mac version other than "make it more like a native app".  I could care less how the menus work, whether it goes "full screen" or if this minimize on X behavior works.  But apparently there are people who think MC for Mac is "done" except for the Mac specific UI fixes.  You're certainly not the first person to ask for this and other more Mac-like behaviors. 

I just don't see why it would be important compared to something like making Video playback features work closer to the Windows version.

On the other hand, no one at JRiver cares what I think.     I'm sure they consider all of these requests and try to pick the ones that will satisfy the most people and draw the most people to buy or upgrade their MC licenses.  Maybe making MC more "native Mac-like" would draw more new customers.  I know it's look and feel put me off at first because it's so non-mac-like .  It's been so long I had almost forgotten that my initial reaction to MC was negative.

Brian.

Thanks!
I'm making suggestions that I consider benefitial for having a more "mac-like" experience. This (among other UI related things) has been the first thing I noticed since, yesterday evening I had a "first look" at MC for Mac. I'm sure that I will notice some other things (not UI related) that might be (more) pressing to solve/implement from JRiver's point of view. However, as a Mac user it just doesn't feel right when using it. To me it feels like those Wine ports for example..Maybe I get used to it..maybe MC will become more "mac-like"..
It's of course up to JRiver what they do.

[tyler69]

JRiver is. 

Applications should be consistent with regard to functionality and workflows across OS's (where possible) but they should seamlessly integrate into the overall OS experience. Of course, achieving this is not a trivial undertaking.

You're assuming that people use one OS or the other, and not both.

No, I don't. Actually I use both OS's on a daily basis and I know some people that also do this.
However, I like to have a "native" OS-experience. Both OS's have their advantages and disadvantages. So when I use windows I know what to "expect" from it's behavior. The same goes for macOS. Like you say, MC is consistent in a way that it behaves and looks like a windows application across OS's (haven't tried Linux yet). So to me it behaves like expected on Windows but not on macOS.

[vallemanden]

OHHhhh NOOOOooo

[blgentry]

^ Uh oh.  Brian is wrong again.  Damn.  I told you guys I was getting old. 

Sorry for the misinformation.

Brian.

[tyler69]

They come up with names I don't follow and I can't even remember what generation my iPhone is and I'm not that old

[Awesome Donkey]

Mac OS X was the old name, macOS is the new name. But potato, potato and whatnot. It's all Mac regardless and shouldn't really matter, IMO.

[blgentry]

MacOS was the OLD name too.  Way back before OSX existed, it was always MacOS.  Up until version 9.  Then it became OSX.  I guess it's MacOS again.

What's old is new again.  Jim, you got any old suits that might come back in style soon? 

Brian.

[JimH]

Never believed in suits.