Command + W = Program does not quit

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Hi,

I have been using Mac for 6 months now. I understand that to quit a program, one must press command + Q.

On the other hand, by pressing command + W merely closes the app and does not complete shut it down. Apps such as VLC will keep on playing if you just press command + W. Why does Apple choose this procedure? What is their logic? I mean, with Windows, when you close the app, it literately closes and essentially quits. I understood this for a while now, but for a first time user, this is confusing. It's not very user friendly in that aspect.
 
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Closing the window (command-w) does not necessarily quit the app. It depends on the programmer, not Apple.
Command-q always quits the app (hence the q) unless it's hung in which case the need to force quit.
 

Raz0rEdge

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I can't tell you how many times I've hit the wrong sequence or the X in a Windows application to have it close/quit and lose data. So in my books, having the window close with the application running and giving me a chance to recover the data is an amazing thing..

Just to point out that different perspective of how OS X works. Don't bother equating it to Windows, Windows does what Windows does and OS X does what it wants..

I like being able to keep some applications running without the window being visible and being able to launch the window in a fraction of second as opposed to having to wait for the application to load..

It's not a matter of being user friendly or not, but you are comparing it to Windows and in that aspect it's different.

Once you learn to use it that way, it won't feel that out of place..
 
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I second that. I like having Mail running with the window closed. Hear a Mail sound, half a second to open the window.
 
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I guess everyone has their ways of preferences.

But..I figured the minimize button does the same thing. It launches an app fast because it has not shut down, just out of sight.
 

Slydude

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Form all practical purposes it does. Like most things in OS X there's more than one way to get a job done.
 
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Minimize does work, if you have room in the Dock for another icon...
Closing the window doesn't add another icon (the minimized window).
 

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