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Jérome Foucher |
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Jérome Foucher |
A-Dock is a utility that gives you a Dock, much like in Mac OS X, but more customizable. You can change the look of it with downloadable skins, use google to find them.
A-Dock can also be used as an application switcher, even able to hijack the Cmd-Tab keystroke if desired.
This app is FREEWARE, as of version 3.0.
CompatibilityMac OS 8.5 or higher required, thereby also requiring a PPC.
Comments
Apple was in negotiation to make Finderpop part of Mac OS, but somehow they screwed it up!
Do people hate the dock? I like the dock, actually. I think it's great, in fact. It is excellent. Not sure if I'd say it's as good as the taskbar from Vista & earlier (which I like better than the one from Windows 7 and later), though.
But, I stand by my words below, because FinderPop mathematically minimizes the amount of mouse movement, time and effort to do anything, from anywhere, anytime. It's absolutely optimal, and miraculously manages to be both sleek and clean (simultaneously!). Sounds like an ad, but it's because the product is just that amazing and empowering.
So yeah, the OS X dock is great, and A-Dock by extension. Its only fault is that it's not FinderPop.
(In case it's not clear, I kinda really like FinderPop... Just a "little".
)
I find the OS X dock hate kind of strange to be honest. I just keep it hidden and it works nicely for app switching, having pinned folders, etc. It's certainly far better than the Windows taskbar. That said, when I use Classic OS I find I don't really want a dock—the app switcher menu feels more suited to the interface than an OS X-style dock. It's still cool to know it's available though
I'd have been completely won over by this app, only if I did not discover FinderPop. After FinderPop, I discovered I never had any need for a dock ever, even in OS X, and that docks, for me, are just bloat, both visually & otherwise.
But hey, still pretty cool in its own right. I'm grabbing this.
Many apps are unofficially skinable (or at least semi-skinable) if you use ResEdit to tweak them.
I'd love to have ***any part of*** this program running on 68k macs, I don't care if it's stripped to its bare essentials, i.e., no shrinking, no magnification, no tooltips, no navigation between apps..nothing fancy, just a nice skinnable dock, you know?
No other 68k dock I know are skinnable
oh well, I can only dream of it 
This app is newer than the dock.
It put the dock into OS 9, it didn't invent it.
The Dock functionality preceeds Mac OS X and A-Dock by a long way. It was in the NeXT OS (where Mac OS came from) as well as sort-of Windoze's Task Bar. The idea probably came from Xerox Parc originally.
Supernova, Just saying, the date released says 2005, while OS X was released before that
I was reminded about this one earlier. I used it a bit back in my Basilisk II days.
I grabbed 43 of the 53 skins from the archive.org copy of the web site and uploaded them here. The archive also has a text file listing the 10 missing skins.
Personally I find the Dock in X (pronounced "EX") to be annoying. I have it hidden most of the 10 hours a year that I use X.
Gary
just need to say that this app is legendary.. and this guy must have totally got ripped off by apple and should sue apple for millions because everyone who has a dock in osx now owes this guy 2cents or more;P essential app
macmeister, that's weird, I use HoverBar all the time with Mac OS 9.2.2 native on Powerbook G3 333 Mhz (rev 2.2) Lombard (which is one of the early Lombards always endangered of cache damages). RAMs are PC 100 only (384 MB). HD is original 4.5 MB. HoverBar works flawlessly here, except that - very rarely - with some apps it does not show the icon but only a blank button but I believe that is due to the fault of some apps whose icons are no good but not of HoverBar. I even put HoverBar in my Start-up Items folder. It's also in my Apple Menu folder where I sometimes need it.
Maybe HoverBar does not work on later G3s.
Also, I don't have games installed only apps including DTP software. Maybe HoverBar doesn't like games.
Maybe its also your Mac OS 9.2.2 ROM; I have a very early Mac OS 9 ROM installed (I think v8.x or the like from an 9.1 retail CD updated with Apple updates from the web).
xy, I can't get hoverbar working properly under G3/OS9.2.2. It used to be my favourite too!
Switched to DragThing2.4
I was browsing my "Apple System Profiler" today, spotted these comments about A-Dock
A-Dock Control Panel:
A-Dock Extension:
Sorted, thanks!
If you installed A-Dock correctly you would be able to right-click onto the dock and choose "Help"... but failing that, its hold the "Shift" key down, drag icon to dock.
Other useful tips are "Click" the bar closest to the edge of the screen to hide the dock, and "Option-Click" the bar near the edge of the screen to make the dock visible again.
HTH
I think it works like the OS X dock. You start a program and it will be shown on the right side of your dock. Then just use drag & drop and put it on the left side. It will now stay in the dock. I'm not on my OS 9 computer right now, but there are other possibilities as well. Will check tonight
Maybe a stupid question, how do you actually drag apps to the dock? Ive tried, and whenever I drag something it doesn't make a space for me.
The way im doing it now is launching the app then dragging it to the dock from there. Its a pain for some, cos A-Dock wont show when launching games ect...
Cheers.
Also very nice, or even nicer, is good old HoverBar. Download here:
http://www.tucows.com/preview/207271
This utility is really excellent. I hadn't heard of it until reading this page. So thanks very much for posting it here.
very interesting! look forward to giving it a try
OMG, i want to *get rid of* the dock in OSX, not add one in OS9.
That's really a cool application for every OS 8 & 9 user. Especially if you are used to some of the comfort of Mac OS X and it's dock. The only thing I couldn't figure out yet is how to change the position of the A-Dock on my monitor.. is it possile to put it to the sides as well?
Very strange how the server could lose it already...I just uploaded it last night.
Anyway, you can also grab it here: http://jerome.foucher.free.fr/ADock/AD_download.html
Download fail.