Usability bug: Minimizing MWP if no new mail

[daverap]

I reported this during the Beta and I don't see that the issue has been addressed. Hopefully someone will tell me that there is a solution.

All the way on the left of the screen I check mail and discover there's no new mail. How do I minimize MWP?

It seems I have to go all the way to the right of the screen and press the X or - buttons.

I have a 15" laptop and it's annoying. I dread to think what a 24" screener has to go through.

[Sidewinder]

Understand your real estate issue. I run it minimized and use the timed autocheck and watch for the blinkie.
Or just right click on the icon and check from there and watch for the blinkie.

[stan_qaz]

There is a [CTRL]+[Shift]+[M] Maximize shortcut, I guess hoping for a minimize one wouldn't be too much. Maybe [CTRL]+[Shift]+[N] Minimize?

[daverap]

It seems that Ctrl+Shift+M minimizes too so that will do for now.

Thanks!

[stan_qaz]

Glad it works, my hands strongly object to three key combinations< I feel lucky if I can get one finger on each hand to hit the keys I really want to depress.

[mcullet]

@ daverap. The behaviour your are reporting is not a bug. If anything, it's called a WAD (works as designed) although it's not really that either because the term is applied (mostly) to logic errors and not something like this. This specific case falls wholly within the windows programming standards. As in, the 'close window / program' button is an 'X' in the top rightmost corner of a window.

We can ask anything of programmers and within reason, programmers can do almost anything. But it's not reasonable to expect any coder to abandon coding standards - all we would end up is a free-for-all for no useful purpose. We 'could' ask the coders to include some degree of customisation which might allow some users (especially laptop users) to add a custom button and assign a close window function to it. Others might argue it's unnecessary - but the nice thing about limited customisation is that your end up with a product that suits your specific needs - and who cares what others think about our personal customisations anyway?

Maybe that's an option to consider - and it opens opportunities for functionality that are limited by imagination. Technically - not difficult and sits happily within coding standards. But I would not get oxygen starved waiting to see this sort of feature (cunstomisation of buttons) any time soon. I'd imagine the coders are being lashed daily just to keep pace with tracking down and eliminating genuine / possible bugs and WADS - and will for some time.

That said, I wholly understand the issue you described in terms of laptops. I have 'big fingers' and have yet to master the fine skill required to get the wee little mouse pad thinggy to do what I want no matter how modest that might be. So, for me to move a laptop cursor way over to the topmost right corner of any window comes close to being able to walk on water (working on it - no luck yet).

BTW - I have a 24" LCD screen and it's not at all a bother for me to close any program (including MWP). Hotkey combinations are useful (as has already been suggested) and so far as your specific issue is concerned that is probably about as good as you can reasonably expect. They work.

MWP flashes whenever new mail is found. No flashing - no new mail and no need to open the main program window. You can alter settings within the program to vary the time between checks for new emails - some prefer minimal checks (longer periods) - all a matter of personal taste, internet speed and bandwidth.

Cheers

[rusticdog]

Glad it works, my hands strongly object to three key combinations< I feel lucky if I can get one finger on each hand to hit the keys I really want to depress.

You can change it, I set my HotKey to the [Pause] button.