Lock User Account vs Hot Corners

First off, I know that you cannot expect a Mac to work in the same way as Windows.

However, in Windows when you go to the Start menu, there is an option to 'Lock' a user account. E.g. When you are at work and want to go out for a lunch break you lock the PC.

In Mac, there is hot corners, whereby you scroll to a specified screen corner and OS X essentially locks the computer.

This method is not very intuitive. I think they should put a Lock option where the Apple button (top left) is. Well, they do have the 'Log Out' option but that method will stop downloads, not the same thing.

Hot corners works great because it's a fast method....but not very intuitive. My point is that there should be a conventional method as well. Apple is about intuition.

So.... go complain to Apple. Here's their feedback form:
https://www.apple.com/feedback/

In the meanwhile, a simple way to lock your screen is to enable Faster User Switching, then click on your name in the top right and select "Login Window".

Or install a menubar item to make it a single click. This would be far easier than having to go to a menu, even on Windows. Here's a free one:
Download Lock Me Now for Mac - Lock your screen from the menu bar. MacUpdate.com'

That is a freebie and you can even configure it so it's tied to a bluetooth device and auto-locks the screen when you walk away with that device. (EDIT: I just tried this... it's not a one-click to lock the screen, but is on a dropdown menu. And once configured right, the screen will lock if I walk away far enough with my iPhone.)

Ahh....I just found out another method by exploring the method you improvised.

At the top right corner, there is your 'user account'. Click on it. Then click on 'login window'. It takes you to the login window while downloads etc are still running. That was what I was looking for!! Namely, a conventional lock option aside from using hot-corners. I just thought it was located where the sleep, restart, logout and shutdown options are. Turns out it is on the other side of the screen.

Initially, even before I discovered 'hot corners', I was trying to figure a way how to lock the computer while having my downloads run in the background. I click on the Apple logo and can only see 'restart', 'shutdown', 'log-out' and 'sleep'. I tried both log-out and sleep and both of those options stopped my downloads. I was very confused. Then I discovered 'hot-corners' but after awhile, I thought to myself...dragging the mouse to a corner was a rather unconventional way to lock the screen.

simonvee said:

Ahh....I just found out another method by exploring the method you improvised.

At the top right corner, there is your 'user account'. Click on it. Then click on 'login window'. It takes you to the login window while downloads etc are still running. That was what I was looking for!! Namely, a conventional lock option aside from using hot-corners. I just thought it was located where the sleep, restart, logout and shutdown options are. Turns out it is on the other side of the screen.

Click to expand...

That's actually exactly what I suggested. Your name (user account) only shows when Fast User Switching is enabled. Anywho, glad that helps!