The Struggle of Resizing Windows on MacOS: A Frustrating Experience
Imagine this: You're a long-time Mac user, and suddenly, resizing windows becomes a daily struggle. It's like Apple has thrown a curveball, and you're left wondering, "Why is this so difficult?"
Norbert Heger, in his insightful post, sheds light on this very issue. Since the upgrade to MacOS Tahoe, many users have encountered this problem. It's a simple task that has become a source of frustration.
The Invisible Resize Button: Heger points out that the issue lies in the window's corner, specifically, the area where the window expects you to click to resize. This area, a mere 19 x 19 pixels, is often missed due to the window's rounded corners.
A Design Flaw: With the introduction of MacOS 26, Apple seemingly forgot about the basic principles of design. The large corner radius, combined with the absence of a visual indicator, makes resizing a window a hit-or-miss affair. It's as if Apple designed a window with an invisible handle, expecting users to magically know where to grab.
A Historical Perspective: This issue can be traced back to Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. Apple decided to remove the visual affordance, the "grippy-strip," from the lower-right corner of windows. This change, while seemingly minor, had a significant impact on the user experience.
The Logic Behind It: One might argue that the grippy-strip was unnecessary, as users "knew" they could resize windows. However, this change removed a crucial piece of information - the ability to quickly identify resizable windows. From 10.7 onwards, users had to rely on trial and error, moving their cursor to the corner and hoping for the best.
A Controversial Decision: Making scrollbars invisible by default was another controversial move by Apple. While some may argue it was a step towards minimalism, others believe it sacrificed usability. The absence of scrollbars further compounded the issue, as the space for the grippy-strip was no longer available.
The Impact of Design Choices: MacOS 26 Tahoe's design choices are a perfect example of how aesthetics can override functionality. The large corner radius, combined with the invisible resize button, creates a confusing and frustrating user experience. It's a clear departure from Steve Jobs' philosophy, where design was about how things work, not just how they look.
A Solution: The good news is, you have a choice. If you haven't upgraded to MacOS 26 Tahoe, consider holding off. If you have, downgrading might be the best option. Why put up with a user interface that presents such absurdities?
And this is the part most people miss... It's not just about resizing windows. It's about Apple's approach to design and usability. Are they prioritizing aesthetics over functionality? Is this a trend we should be concerned about? These are questions worth discussing.
What are your thoughts on Apple's design choices? Do you agree that functionality should always come first? Share your opinions in the comments!
