And the icons also show up in the Application Switcher window. Because these icons are closely associated with their applications, you really don't need the application name next to the icon in order to differentiate between them. Apple realized this and allows you to get rid of the application names in the Application Switcher window simply by clicking the zoom box in the upper right corner of the window. Without the application names in the window, the vertical orientation of the Application Switcher is now a little less efficient. Our eyes are set horizontally in our heads, and are better at scanning left and right rather than up and down.
Option click the zoom box to toggle between large and small icons.
You can set up any combination of these display options to suit your own personal taste and needs. Click Files and programs on the left, and then Switching between open programs on the right. Mark Newhouse is the Web Designer for the public outreach arm of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories in Tucson, AZ, where he really isn't as efficient as he would have you believe. Inc. The iBook icon is courtesy the Iconfactory .