Mac's close action doesn't terminate the program.
Mac's close action doesn't terminate the program.
Only when they're genuinely in use or ready for execution does the OS decide which apps run. It doesn't automatically schedule tasks unless they meet certain conditions. The system waits for an application to finish its time before proceeding. I've tested CineBench R15 with both open and minimized settings; the results were nearly identical. "Minimize" refers to windowing, not actual app functionality. In Linux, you can move CLI apps to the background but can bring them back with the 'fg' command. macOS uses a different approach—multiple document interface (MDI)—where each window acts like a separate document within an app. Windows also employs a single MDI model, influenced by its cooperative multitasking design. Minimizing a window keeps its state intact, allowing you to resume exactly where you left off. Closing a window in MDI behaves similarly to closing a file in software like Photoshop or a web browser—your progress is saved. If background programs aren't consuming CPU power, they're not draining resources directly; they just occupy space in the process list and RAM. Only when they actively use memory or processing does performance suffer. In my tests, lowering the total processes from 56 to 37 and reducing RAM usage after a reboot improved speed by only a few percent. The biggest gain came from a rare outlier boosting FPS by up to five percent. Remember, "background application" means something rarely interacted with, while "minimized" refers to closing an app entirely. Running CineBench or Prime95 in the background will noticeably slow your system. To ensure a clean start, simply close the app—this ends its process and frees resources.
Um, not quite. As someone who does IT Consulting for small businesses and residential users, I can say with 100% certainty that quitting Mac Mail, for example, allows email server settings to actually save so it works upon next launch. If I simply close all the Mail windows but don't quit the Mail app, most of the time it keeps trying to use the old server settings prior to my changes, even though I've already hit save on the dialogue that slides down from the top in Mail's Preferences window. To be fair, this wouldn't be an issue with having to completely quit Mail if it actually respected the changed settings it displays in the Preferences window after I save them, but alas, there's been nothing but questionable development and UI/UX experience since Jobs died. Full Disclosure: I use both MacOS and Windows for work purposes, but do prefer Windows simply because that's what I grew up with. My stance is that the best OS is the one that works best for your individual workflow.
It's frustrating when your preferred operating system functions well for most tasks but only supports a small portion, forcing you to dual boot Windows on your MacBook.