Sorrentino's Notes (09/06)
Taking The Taskbar To Task
by Phil Sorrentino
Member of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.
The Taskbar is the control
center for PC operations. Programs start by using the "Start" button on
the taskbar. Programs that are active are kept on the taskbar for ready
use. Programs can be "Quickly Launched" from the taskbar even when the
desktop is not visible, and programs that need to alert the user do so
via the "Notification Area" on the taskbar. The Taskbar can be located
on any of the edges of the monitor, although it is typically located at
the bottom. The Taskbar is a very important component of the Windows
User Interface. So, here’s a quick review of its elements:
-
The Start menu, which is accessed by the "Start"
button on the left of the taskbar, contains commands that can access
programs, documents, and settings.
-
The Quick Launch Area, contains shortcuts to
applications. A single click on the application’s icon in this area
launches the application. This section of the taskbar can be hidden or
shown. The Icons in this area can be increased in size, making them more
easily recognizable. With the Taskbar unlocked, right-click on the
handle (soon to be explained), to the left of the Quick Launch area
(when it changes to a double-arrow), and choose View-Large Icons. (Don’t
forget to lock the Taskbar again.)
-
Taskbar buttons. Windows places a Taskbar Button
on the taskbar whenever an application is opened. As you open more
programs, your taskbar buttons shrink to make room for the new button.
If you open many items with the same program, those buttons may collapse
into a single "Grouped" button. Grouped buttons pop up a menu listing of
all the grouped windows when clicked. This keeps the taskbar from being
overcrowded when many windows are open at one time. Window Previews,
which were introduced in Vista, show thumbnail views of the application
in real-time.
-
The Notification area is on the right side of the
taskbar and displays the time and day and icons for system and program
features that have no presence on the desktop. It shows mainly icons
that have status information. For example, an application might put a
printer icon in this area to show that a print job is under way, or a
display driver application may provide quick access to various screen
resolutions. The notification area is commonly referred to as the System
Tray, which Microsoft states is incorrect. Starting with Vista, the
Taskbar notification area is split into two areas: one reserved for
system icons including the clock, network, and power; and the other for
applications.
The Taskbar is very versatile and can be modified by users
in several ways, when it is unlocked. (Right-click any blank area on the
taskbar and it will show if it is locked or not.) Its position can be
changed to appear on any edge of the primary display. With the taskbar
unlocked, just drag the taskbar to the edge to which you would like it
docked. (Oh, that’s how it got there.) The edge of the taskbar can also be
dragged (within limits) to control its height, (or width for a vertical
taskbar). To avoid inadvertent resizing or repositioning of the taskbar, it
can and should be locked during normal computer use. When the Taskbar is
unlocked, "handles" are displayed next to the movable elements which allow
the use of the mouse to move and size those areas. The Taskbar, as a whole,
can be hidden (auto-hide) until the mouse pointer is moved to the display
edge, or has keyboard focus.
As is typical of Windows, you can customize the Taskbar. To
do so, right-click the Start button and choose Properties. In the Taskbar
and Start Menu Properties dialog box that opens, click the Taskbar tab. Your
options are as follows:
-
Lock the Taskbar If selected, windows hides all
sizing handles on the taskbar so you can’t accidentally move or resize
them.
-
Auto-hide the Taskbar If selected, the Taskbar
will be hidden most of the time so as to not take up any space on the
screen. To make it visible, move the mouse pointer to the very bottom of
your screen.
-
Keep the Taskbar on top of other windows. If
selected, Windows makes sure the Taskbar is visible at all times, even
when large maximized programs are covering the rest of the screen.
-
Group similar Taskbar buttons If selected,
Windows allows multiple taskbar buttons to collapse into a single button
so the buttons don’t become too small to read.
-
Show Quick Launch If selected, the Quick Launch
toolbar will be shown.
As to the future, look for the Taskbar to continue to
play a major role in Windows. The Windows 7 "beta" Taskbar provides new
applications-launching and window-switching mechanisms. It also introduces
jumplists, which are menus that provide shortcuts to recently opened
documents. Whatever features become part of Windows 7, I’m sure the Taskbar
will continue to be a central part of the Windows User Interface.
Return to Phil Sorrentino's
Index
Return to
Columnist's Index
Copyright 2009. This article is from the June 2009 issue of the
Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota
Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL
34277-1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit
computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and
our publication. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the publication
the reprint appears in, please send to above address, Attn: Editor. For
further information about our group, email:
admin@spcug.org// Web:
http://www.spcug.org/
The Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. has 1,100+ members
and was established in 1982. We are members of the Assoc. of PC User
Groups (APCUG), the Florida Assoc. of PC Users Groups, Inc., and we are
members of the America Online Ambassador Program.
See http://www.spcug.org for all reviews from the Sarasota PC
Monitor, go to the Newsletter Section.