Minimize

Minimizing a windows hides it from view without actually closing it. In Windows, a window is minimized to the taskbar. In OS X (Macs), it is minimized to the dock. Minimizing can be very useful if you're working with a lot of windows at once, but don't need to use one for a while. It can also be helpful if you no longer need a window, but might want to use it later.

To minimize a window in Windows, click the left-most button in the top right-hand corner of the window (it should look like an underscore). If you want to minimize all windows, press the Windows key + D (you can also click the "Show Desktop" button in your Quick Launch tooolbar if you have it open).

To minimize a window in OS X, click the yellow button in the top left-hand corner of the window. To show all windows currently open on the same screen, press F9 (Apple calls this "Expose" mode...it's pretty nifty). To do the same thing, but just for the currently selected application, press F10. To move all windows to the edges of the screen (show the desktop), press F11. In 10.4 (Tiger), pressing F12 shows the dashboard.