App to make red X quit an application

There have been many recent switchers and newcomers to the Mac world that are confused as to why the red X button on a window doesn't quit the application..

Carsten Mielke - RedQuits changes that and makes it so that it does do what you expect..

Enjoy..

Or you could just learn the actual OS you are on properly instead of wishing it was some other OS. I'm just sayin'.

Thanks Raz0rEdge. Handy little application. In case anyone wants to use it, it should be placed in your login group otherwise you'll have to start the app each time before it will work.

Or you could just learn the actual OS you are on properly instead of wishing it was some other OS. I'm just sayin'.

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What does that have to do with it? It's a matter of convenience - even for seasoned OS X users.

Could see that this gets annoying, if e.g. you have multiple windows in Preview open and just want to close a specific one. With this app you would end up quitting Preview, right?

Hum.. don't think it fits into my workflow. Thanks for sharing anyway!

chas_m said:

Or you could just learn the actual OS you are on properly instead of wishing it was some other OS. I'm just sayin'.

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That was my first thought as well.

dekan said:

Could see that this gets annoying, if e.g. you have multiple windows in Preview open and just want to close a specific one. With this app you would end up quitting Preview, right?

Hum.. don't think it fits into my workflow. Thanks for sharing anyway!

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Same here. I'll just continue to use it knowing how it was designed to work.

One of the annoying thing that I happen to do on occasion when using Windows is to closed a window for less clutter. But mistakenly closed an app altogether. Seems a little weird when I first moved to Mac, but makes sense to me to have the apps still available when all windows are closed.

dekan said:

Could see that this gets annoying, if e.g. you have multiple windows in Preview open and just want to close a specific one. With this app you would end up quitting Preview, right?

Hum.. don't think it fits into my workflow. Thanks for sharing anyway!

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I'm with you on this one, but one could always just do CMD+W to close the foreground window. I do agree though... I got used to how OS X does things and do see the total logic in what the red x does vs what say... CMD+Q does.

And with that said, why does there really need to be an app, when there's CMD+Q? Oh, right.. the keyboard is aaaaaaaaaalll the way over ---->.

Doug

I'm not saying there's no purpose for the app to exist. Say for example you had terrible arthritis and wanted to avoid using the keyboard as much as possible. Could be useful there.

But on the whole, most users will really be much happier in the long run using a Mac if they learn the Mac OS rather than trying to make it behave like Windows used to. That's all I'm saying.

I personally don't use it, since I'm perfectly fine with hitting CMD+Q to quit an application..but I just thought this might be of benefit for those who've just switched and might be confused by the differing behavior as compared to Windows/Linux..

Plus, the app is free to boot..so that's why I posted it here..

I'm sure there will be those who are interested. For them, great tip, nice find, etc.

Hmmm

chas_m said:

I'm not saying there's no purpose for the app to exist. Say for example you had terrible arthritis and wanted to avoid using the keyboard as much as possible. Could be useful there.

But on the whole, most users will really be much happier in the long run using a Mac if they learn the Mac OS rather than trying to make it behave like Windows used to. That's all I'm saying.

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Hey, I myself have made the switch to the Mac OS. Not totally, but somewhat. And this red (X) button phenomenon really peeves me off.

Firstly, it has nothing to do with me being used to Windows; it's because of the simple fact that there is already a button that "minimizes" the application to the dock. It's the yellow one. Why on earth would you duplicate that functionality? This probably confuses EVERYONE who uses the OS, and not just Windows switchers.

I'm a programmer and I find bad design principles all over Windows, and I wrongfully assumed the Mac's primary focus was good intuitive design.
Don't be an apologist for BAD designs. The red X should QUIT an application (if it's the last window for that application).

To be fair, some Windows applications didn't quit either if you pressed the X button, however, instead of just "minimizing" to the task bar, it went into the System Tray. (At least there was reason for that X button to exist).. But, don't get me started on Windows...ugh).

I just use command w and a to quit the app very easy don't even think about it really.

mrblob said:

Hey, I myself have made the switch to the Mac OS. Not totally, but somewhat. And this red (X) button phenomenon really peeves me off.

Firstly, it has nothing to do with me being used to Windows; it's because of the simple fact that there is already a button that "minimizes" the application to the dock. It's the yellow one. Why on earth would you duplicate that functionality? This probably confuses EVERYONE who uses the OS, and not just Windows switchers.

I'm a programmer and I find bad design principles all over Windows, and I wrongfully assumed the Mac's primary focus was good intuitive design.
Don't be an apologist for BAD designs. The red X should QUIT an application (if it's the last window for that application).

To be fair, some Windows applications didn't quit either if you pressed the X button, however, instead of just "minimizing" to the task bar, it went into the System Tray. (At least there was reason for that X button to exist).. But, don't get me started on Windows...ugh).

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First - I have no dog in this fight - use what suits your purposes - but your reasoning here is flawed. The red x doesn't "minimize to the task bar" that's what the minimize button does. The red x just closes whatever instance of that application you happen to want to close. If you have multiple Safari windows - it closes that window but leaves the others untouched - makes perfect sense. I could go through plenty of other examples. This is just a Windows hangover issue - I had the same confusion myself - but now it's great. Plus, like others here, I just use cmd-w and cmd-q and can't remember the last time I actually touched any of those buttons.

I think you should be cautious coming in here and labeling something a bad design when it's clear that you haven't even understood its function correctly yet.

BrianLachoreVPI said:

First - I have no dog in this fight - use what suits your purposes - but your reasoning here is flawed. The red x doesn't "minimize to the task bar" that's what the minimize button does. The red x just closes whatever instance of that application you happen to want to close. If you have multiple Safari windows - it closes that window but leaves the others untouched - makes perfect sense. I could go through plenty of other examples. This is just a Windows hangover issue - I had the same confusion myself - but now it's great. Plus, like others here, I just use cmd-w and cmd-q and can't remember the last time I actually touched any of those buttons.

I think you should be cautious coming in here and labeling something a bad design when it's clear that you haven't even understood its function correctly yet.

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Obviously you have a problem reading. I said if its the last window of the app it should exit the app.

mrblob said:

Obviously you have a problem reading. I said if its the last window of the app it should exit the app.

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I don't have a problem reading - but your opinion is noted. Doesn't change the fact that you seem to have joined to call something a "bad design" yet communicate incorrectly the tenets of that design. Apple has a suggestion box - I'm sure that since you've deemed this particular aspect incorrect - they'll make the change as soon as you bring it to their attention.

rabbitjetta said:

I just use command w and a to quit the app very easy don't even think about it really.

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Most users hate remembering keyboard shortcuts. Try teaching keyboard shortcuts to people who haven't even mastered the GUI.

BrianLachoreVPI said:

I don't have a problem reading - but your opinion is noted. Doesn't change the fact that you seem to have joined to call something a "bad design" yet communicate incorrectly the tenets of that design. Apple has a suggestion box - I'm sure that since you've deemed this particular aspect incorrect - they'll make the change as soon as you bring it to their attention.

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Tell me what exactly is incorrect about my statement?

mrblob said:

Tell me what exactly is incorrect about my statement?

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Speaking of reading... I already did that. Plus - you incorrectly state that the red x 'should' close an app if it's the last window open. That may work for you - but I can think of plenty of times that doesn't work for me. I was just using Pixelmater a few minutes ago - and if it functioned that way - it would be incredibly annoying. No - the app should close when you want the app to close, not want just one of the windows to close.

Obviously then on top of reading you have a problem with comprehension. If I have 1 safari window open and I use the red x to close it... It minimises to the dock. Funnily enough, thats exactly what the yellow button does. Am I wrong? In windows the x closed the "instance" of the browser window but if it's the last window it exited the app. This is the correct way of doing things.

BrianLachoreVPI said:

Speaking of reading... I already did that. Plus - you incorrectly state that the red x 'should' close an app if it's the last window open. That may work for you - but I can think of plenty of times that doesn't work for me. I was just using Pixelmater a few minutes ago - and if it functioned that way - it would be incredibly annoying. No - the app should close when you want the app to close, not want just one of the windows to close.

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Again, the yellow button obviously would help you out. My point is that the red x is obviously duplicating that functionality.