The concept of an app launcher or a dock on a Windows desktop might seem redundant to some. This is especially true for Windows 10. Yet, app launchers or MacOS like docks have been quite in demand over the years on Windows. This, in turn, has led many developers to take on the challenge and deliver a good experience to users on Windows. While Mac OS docs don’t offer a lot to the Windows 10 desktop in terms of features, they do add a layer of convenience. Not to mention they look much fancier than a start menu.
In Windows on your Mac, click in the right side of the taskbar, click the Boot Camp icon, then choose Boot Camp Control Panel. If a User Account Control dialog appears, click Yes. In the One Finger section, select any of the following: Tap to Click: Lets you tap the trackpad to click.
For Windows 8, it has an added support for swiping 2 finger from outer edge left or right. Two-finger swipe from the left will show the switch bar. Swiping two-finger from the right will show the charm bar in Windows 8. Works very well, you should defiantly give it a try if you have a Mac and running Windows. Microsoft Windows® 8 is shipped without the 'Start' menu. Stardock heard the cries from Windows 8 users. We put the 'Start' menu back in Windows 8. Mac OS X Bar 10.8 Updated Oct 11, 2005 by William Earley. 5 Comments 55 Referrals Report Download. Jonnysoutes Comment #1 Wednesday, January 25, 2006 2:24 PM.
A dock also manages to allow you to add many apps folders or files on your desktop without making it look cluttered. There’s also the added functionality that you can access these usually from anywhere without having to minimize currently open windows. There are quite a few docks available on Windows, and some of them are quite good. Good, but if your needs are limited to looks or simply an app launcher that complements the Windows taskbar. Here are two MacOS docs for your Windows 10 PC that should satisfy your needs.
The following 2 Mac OS like docks hugely resembles the one found on Apple’s computers. Try them to easily access your favorite apps. These docks not only look beautiful but are also highly customizable. You should also check out these cool Windows taskbar tips and tricks for a better experience.
Rocket dock – Simple and elegant
Rocket dock has been one of the most popular dock options for Windows. The development on Rocket dock seemingly ceased years ago and there are no new features added. To be honest, it could actually use some more features. But there’s a good side to this apparent lack of features. It makes Rocket dock one of the simplest docks available for Windows. It does still have some of the basic features you might want in your dock. These include the ability to change individual icons, change the position of the dock, place it behind open windows or on top of them, etc. You can also adjust the quality of icons depending upon your hardware.
I’d suggest not changing a lot in the icon settings though since the default animation and zoom settings are quite ideal. The animations are so smooth with Rocket dock that it often feels like an integrated part of the system. It also has themes and the internet is full of them, the dock being so popular. The best place to find these is the Rocket dock’s official website. You can also extend the functionality using docklets, also available on the website. You can also let minimized windows appear on the dock if you wish to use it like the Mac OS dock. This functionality seems broken and is often not reliable though especially as long as there is a taskbar.
Also, Rocket dock will always overlap with open windows. That is, Windows will either slide over or under it, depending on your preferences. Unlike some other docks or the taskbar, Rocket dock cannot allocate a dedicated space for itself.
Winstep Nexus Dock – Feature-packed, not so simple
There’s a distance between the land and the sky, as you may have noticed. I’m not getting philosophical here, but that’s exactly the distance, or difference between Nexus dock and Rocket dock. Although both of these are essentially docks, Nexus dock is perhaps the best there is for Windows. It has so many features that you’d just skip over many of them even if I did type them all out. As a result, though, it is not the easiest, most user-friendly dock around. Launching apps and adding them to the dock still works pretty much the same as any other dock. There is a bit of a learning curve if you wish to customize the dock to look and behave as you want.
It has everything Rocket dock has, such as themes and docklets, and in greater numbers even. It also has numerous features and fancy animations that Rocket dock does not have. Appearance settings such as icon reflections, icon launch animations, close animations, delete animations, the duration of these animations, you can micromanage everything. All of this does come at a price though. While there is a free version too, you’d have to shell out a few bucks for the Ultimate version which has all the features. I’ve used Nexus dock for a long long time before Windows 10 came along, and I’ve customized it to my heart’s desire. It even has a start menu button!
In case you’re wondering, minimizing Windows to the dock is not reliable on this one either but it works sometimes at least. To wrap up, if you wanted to replace the taskbar entirely, you can depend on the Nexus dock. Winstep Nexus is one of the best Mac OS docks for Windows 10 out there.
A menu bar is a thin, horizontal bar containing the labels of menus in an operating system's GUI. It provides the user with a standard place in a window to find the majority of a program's essential functions. These functions include opening and closing files, editing text, and quitting the program. Although menu bars are usually present in most GUIs, they may differ depending on the operating system you're using.
Microsoft Windows menu bars
In Microsoft Windows, the menu bar is beneath the title bar. The menu bar in Windows may be accessed via keyboard shortcuts. Pressing the Alt and the menu-specific hotkey (which appears as an underlined letter in the menu) activates that menu choice. Below is a diagram of a Windows file menu with a description of each part of the menu.
Tip
With Windows 8, Windows 10, and full-screen programs, the menu bar may be hidden to improve the appearance of the program. To show the menu bar move your mouse or finger to the top of the screen.
Apple OS X menu bars
The menu bar on a Mac is a thin bar found anchored to the top of the screen. Unlike Microsoft Windows menu bars, which appear in each window, menu bars in OS X always appear at the top of the screen. When you switch to another application, the menu bar changes accordingly.
The following is a diagram of a simple Mac menu bar and the functions of each menu item:
By clicking the Apple logo in the left corner of the menu bar, you'll gain access to the Apple menu.
Adjust the Finder properties. To open Finder, click the Finder icon on the dock.
The middle File, Edit, View, Go, Window, Help all interact with the Apple OS or program you're currently running if one is open.
Next, the status menus display quick information about things like the sound, Wi-Fi, battery, time, etc.
Finally, use Spotlight to find any files on your computer.
Why is the menu bar missing?
Not all programs use a file menu. For example, in new Office programs instead of a file menu it uses the Ribbon. Other programs may use a hamburger menu, kebab menu (e.g., Chrome), or meatballs menu (e.g., Edge) to access the programs features. For these programs, you'll need to use the alternative menu system.
Some programs may also hide the file menu to keep the interface clean. With these programs, press the Alt or F10 any time you want to open the file menu. Other programs may only show the menu when the mouse pointer is moved to the top of the screen or when scrolling up.
Related pages
Mac Toolbar For Windows 8 Free
Apple terms, Menu, Operating system terms, Title bar