Three questions:
- What is the rationale behind changing the close [X] button behaviour (exit the application) to minimise an application as an icon on the taskbar?
- Why change close as opposed to the minimise button?
- Is there a way, possibly programatically, to ensure that the close button [X] always terminates the application?
I have noticed machines (of non-software developers) getting bogged down because they are running scores of applications. Since I know the application is taking up memory, I use File » Exit or right-click on the icon and then select exit. Both are slower than pressing [X] to exit.
Not everybody knows the difference between RAM and disk space, and even if they did, not everybody has 8GB of RAM to spare.
Update
The questions, as stated, are a bit vague. I was wondering why other programmers consider it reasonable to change the default behaviour for the close button (which introduces a gaping inconsistency between applications)? Most people who use computers cannot tell the difference between:
- Google vs a Web Browser
- RAM vs a hard drive
- CPU vs everything in the case
- E-mail and Hotmail
- Loaded programs vs a programs not started
Stating that there's a difference between a window and an application, while technically true, flies in the face of over 15 years of grandmothers knowing [X] means "exit the application". Especially when the minimise button [_] can perform the same task just as well, and does not mean "exit the application".