Alternatives To Apple Dock - Taskbar

This box helps explain the association that I always have had.

We bought a Mac. I like many parts about it. It syncs with my iphone etc...

I can't learn the dock. I am afraid we might need to move back to Windows. I can't stand it. I've tried explaining to myself how to minimize it into the corner and tried minimizing applications to icon, but no luck.

Is there an application to display a list? I'm not looking for alternative techniques for understanding. I really needs a list, not a dock.

Preferably it would work look similar to Windows Dock.

Having used applications like Quicksilver before, and knowing the ingenuity and geniuses in the Mac community it feels like someone could create something like this.

Solution 1:

uBar is a Windows-style taskbar for OS X that I developed. Be sure to set Window Grouping to Never in the preferences, and it will exactly replicate the behaviour you are looking for.

Solution 2:

DragThing is a commercial application that can display a list of running applications. It can be configured to create a Windows-like taskbar.

1. Click the  in the topleft corner, click Dock, then click Left or Right to move the dock to left or right. (so it won't get in the way of the Windows-like taskbar you are going to create, while you can still use it as a handy app launcher.)
2. Download DragThing (thanks to this page for telling me about it) . It costs US $29 but you can try it for free. However, if you like it you should buy it.
3. Open the downloaded DMG file, drag the DragThing icon to the applications folder, delete the DMG file, open the applications folder (or Launchpad if you have Mountain Lion) and open DragThing.
4. Make sure DragThing is the active application (It says "DragThing" next to the  in the topleft corner then), press ⌘+0 and close all the DragThing windows except the one that appeared when you pressed that.
5. Right click on the window that appeared when you pressed ⌘+0 and click Rotate.
6. Drag it to the center of the bottom of the screen.
7. Right click again on it and click "Dock settings...".
8. Set the following (got most of it from this page):

   Set "Float Dock Window" to Always

   Turn "Show Window Title Bar" off

   Set "Icon Size" to 16×16

   Set "Spacing" to 0

   Set "Width" to about 70

   Set "Show Item Names" to Right

   Turn "Use Single-Click To Open Items" on (can be found at Advanced tab)

   Turn "Lock position" on (can be found at Advanced tab)

9. Close the window
10. Enjoy your shiny new taskbar! Eventually right click it and select a new color.

Solution 3:

Maybe Hyperdock helps. It shows thumbnails of all open program windows when resting the mouse pointer on a dock icon. One can click on a thumbnail in order to bring the respective window to the front.

I cannot live without. Available from the app store.