Don't quit apps - hide them!

Jun 03, '01 02:27:19PM

Contributed by: pascalpp

One of the big beefs most folks have with OS X is application launch times. But one of the great things about OS X is its virtual memory system. This can be used to avoid waiting for applications to launch.

If you hide (command-H) an application when you're done using it instead of quitting it, you avoid the delay which occurs when you need to use that application again. There's almost no penalty for doing this, except perhaps a slightly overcrowded dock.

Now, for example, when you want to view a help page, you'll get to view it immediately, rather than having to wait for the Help application to launch.

[Editor's note: There's almost no penalty to a point. If you start to hear lots and lots of hard drive activity, you're probably pushing the limit. The more RAM you have, obviously, the more apps you can leave open.]

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Mac OS X Hints
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