Mystified with Mission Control

[FritzDaCat]

Hey all!

Not new to Mac but new to Lion.
Coming from an old iMac running 10.4.11 :Blushing:

What's the deal with Mission Control? How do I know when apps are running?
When I bring up MC-- via the icon in the dock or the F3 key-- it merely rearranges open windows. And only windows that are actually maximized. Minimized windows don't show. And I would hope that MC would show apps running where the windows have been closed, too. Something must be wrong... am I missing something?

 

[dtravis7]

Mission Control is a combination of Spaces and Expose. Some do not like it as well as Expose but I find after using it a bit to be faster for me.

I do not remember Expose in Tiger showing minimized windows but it's been a while.

 

[vansmith]

And only windows that are actually maximized. Minimized windows don't show.

I do not remember Expose in Tiger showing minimized windows but it's been a while.

The only time Expose ever showed minimized windows was in SL and for some reason, Apple removed this (why?). I thought it was fantastic being able to view minimized windows.

The only 'solution' now is to right click an app and select "Show All Windows" in the context menu.

 

[FritzDaCat]

Thanks for the replies!

I guess I am thinking more along the lines of "which apps are running?"
I thought that Mission Control might show me that somehow.

In my previous OS, there would be a small triangle in the dock under any app that was running-- whether or not there were any open windows. I guess Apple felt that that wasn't useful to anybody.

 

[vansmith]

They turned that off as well but you can turn on the glowing dot: System Preferences > Dock > check "Show indicator lights for open applications."

 

[dtravis7]

They turned that off as well but you can turn on the glowing dot: System Preferences > Dock > check "Show indicator lights for open applications."

Interesting thing about that is, I did total clean installs on a new partition for Lion and my dots are there under the apps in the dock and I never enabled it. I wonder what is up with that?

I did not migrate my settings from SL either. Just a brand new install.

 

[vansmith]

Hmmm, I can't remember if I enabled it or not. If I had to enable it though, it would have been the second thing I did right after the "reverse scrolling."

 

[FritzDaCat]

They turned that off as well but you can turn on the glowing dot: System Preferences > Dock > check "Show indicator lights for open applications."

Now that's what I'm looking for.... thanks!

 

[dtravis7]

Hmmm, I can't remember if I enabled it or not. If I had to enable it though, it would have been the second thing I did right after the "reverse scrolling."

Agreed. I just remember people right before Lion came out saying no more lights under apps and was shocked when I installed it and saw the blue lights.

I am glad that is what the OP was looking for and he was helped!