How do you know what's running

Hi

Switcher here with a new imac for approximately 24 hours! Keeping an open mind about the new way or working but struggling with a few things. One thing I can't work out is how you can tell at a glance which programs / applications you have got running at any one time. I am constant minimising windows or closing them down to see what's running behind them i.e. how can you tell if you've got Thunderbird open if the window is hidden?

What am I missing?

Press command+option+escape keys all at the same time. That'll bring up the force quit menu. Not such a good idea to force quit apps. But it'll show you each app you have running.

An other way is to look in the dock. Each of the apps with some kind of mark underneath them are open and in use.

command tab will bring up a menu of currently open applications

also the dock will tell you which apps are open

Oh thanks, I hadn't noticed the marks under the icons on the dock - got this sussed now. Getting there slowly!

Ask as many seemingly dumb questions as you like

It's the only way to combat ignorance

Ah yes but ask them here. It's the best place to.

try expose! its great. just search it in spotlight and launch the system preferences pan to configure it…

you won't have to minimise an app again! lol