Weird enough, this doesn't work in iPhoto for editing Smart Albums! Tsk tsk tsk. Only Command+i. Time for Apple for a major cleanup --consistency-wise-- in all their apps and GUI styles.

For example, I've been showing my dad how to use his new Mac. How can I explain this (a common switcher question): In iTunes, if you click the red button, it closes the main window, NOT the app. Like in TextEdit, Mail and most apps (not necessarily Apple-made) too. But this does not apply to Sys Prefs, Disk Utility, etc. There must be a logic somewhere, but how is the user supposed to easily know "Ah! I'm in an application where I can click the red button without quitting it". It's so not-Apple.

I hope the next big cat will bring major enhancements in this domain ;-) Next Monday, we'll see... maybe.

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Mr Vx

Not that I don't agree with the sentiment ;-) but Apple's general logic seems to be: In multi-window apps, the red dot simply closes the current window; in single-window apps, it quits the application. You can open multiple windows in iTunes, but not in iPhoto.

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Dan Frakes / Senior Editor, Macworld / Senior Reviews Editor, Playlist

yes, that make sense but still...

For a newbie or a switcher, they will never figure out that kind of comportment...

I know a lot of PC people that use my Mac and end up never closing the applications...

Teach people to use the key commands and how to Quit.

Command-Q means Quit.
Command-W means Close the Window.

The 'Red Dot' means close the window not Quit. The Mac helps you out by closing the app only in the situation where the app can never have more than one window anyway (iTunes for example).

So basically it's easy. If you want to Quit an application simple choose Quit/command-Q in any situation. So for a newbie to the Mac teach them the command for Quitting.

It's Windows that's inconsistent here. How can I close the last Window without Quitting the app? Something I regularly do in Photoshop.

So I think:
I want to Quit the app: Command - Q
I want to close the window: Command -W (or red dot)

You can Listen to iTunes without any windows open, so it makes sense that the app stay open.
Mail is another example, close the window and the app continues to run and receive emails.

System Preferences is pretty much useless unless you have the window open, so it makes sense that the app shuts down when you close the window.