Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Minimizing Window.

May 4, 2004 3:14AM PDT

After all these years using computers, you'd think I'd know the answer to this one.

Why do we minimize a window? Does it save resources? I can have 3 windows open and jump from one to the other. Minimizing a window seems to make no difference.

Pat

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Re:Minimizing Window.
May 4, 2004 5:38AM PDT

Pat,

Minimizing only gets the open window out of the way. Resources are still being used, especially if that window is a separate program from the other windows. Likewise, bandwidth is used by that minimized window if it happens to be a browser window.

In most cases though, I don't actually "minimize" the window, I simply open another window over the top of the previous one. For example, I normally visit these forums with 3 or 4 windows open. In order to jump to a different screen, I click on the taskbar section where that window is displayed and it will immediately overlap the previous window. There really isn't a difference, unless I actually want to see the desktop. In that case, you'll need to "minimize" all windows to see the desktop....UNLESS you have "Return to desktop" button in the Quicklaunch bar.

Now I'm babbling....

Hope this helps.

Grif

- Collapse -
Re:Re:Minimizing Window.
May 4, 2004 8:54AM PDT

Ah. I was actually right for a change. I, too, open at least 2 windows when using these forums. The first for the main page, and the second for the topic. It's much easier to close that 2nd window from the task bar and be immediately back at the main page.

That would be just an unecessary waste of time then, wouldn't it? Happy

Grif: There is no elses "babbling" I would rather read than yours, after all these years. Thank you so much for always being there.

Pat

- Collapse -
Re:Re:Minimizing Window.
May 4, 2004 8:55AM PDT

Ah. I was actually right for a change. I, too, open at least 2 windows when using these forums. The first for the main page, and the second for the topic. It's much easier to close that 2nd window from the task bar and be immediately back at the main page.

That would be just an unecessary waste of time then, wouldn't it? Happy I do have an icon to return to desktop no matter how many windows are open.

Grif: There is no elses "babbling" I would rather read than yours, after all these years. Thank you so much for always being there.

Pat

- Collapse -
Minimizing a window seems to make no difference. And I agree.
May 4, 2004 11:45AM PDT

Way back when in Windows 3.1 and 3.11 there was a noted savings if you did that. While you didn't note the OS, the more common ones will cause zero measurable effect when you keep the windows minimized.

There is some hope if you want to optimize. Read http://www.aumha.org/articles.htm

Bob

- Collapse -
Re:Minimizing a window seems to make no difference. And I agree.
May 5, 2004 3:36AM PDT

Nope, Bob. Everything is fine. I had been reading in another forum where someone was being advised to minimize windows and, as I never bothered, I was just curious as to why one would do that.


Thanks.

Pat

- Collapse -
Pat, Have You Tried Another Browser ??
May 5, 2004 6:45AM PDT

Browsers such as Mozilla/Firefox use "tabbed" browser windows and for some sites, such as this forum, it works better than Internet Explorer.

http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

It's your choice.

Grif

- Collapse -
Re:Pat, Have You Tried Another Browser ??
May 5, 2004 9:02AM PDT

Doesn't everything work better than Internet Explorer?

The only time I would use IE is when forced to, such as certain updates, downloads, or a site that is only supported by IE. It's a crummy browser and a target for whatever is out there.

My browser of choice at this time is the speedy Opera. I have had no trouble with it and it just zips along. I also have Netscape which up until about a year was my main browser. I only use it occasionally now.

So, there are 3 browsers. Plenty of choices, and the last one I would use is IE. Neither do I use OE.

I'm having no problems whatsoever right now. (Maybe I shouldn't have said that. Happy ) I was just curious as to why people would bother to minimize open windows.

Thanks, Grif.

Pat

- Collapse -
(NT) Good Enough...Just Checking ;-))
May 5, 2004 10:21AM PDT

.