Beginner CS4 question

[Mark F]

I'm a total PS beginner, having just purchased and installed CS4 Extended after working with LR2 for a while, and I'm not sure that it has installed properly. When I click on the blue PS icon, Photoshop opens, but all I see is a narrow vertical toolbar on the far left and a wider panel on the far right of my screen. Everything in between is my Leopard desktop with all the icons. Also, the x,- and + symbols are missing from the upper left.

When I open an image using File/Open>filename,   the file opens in ACR but only takes up part of the middle portion of the screen with the rest showing the desktop.

Is this the way PS is supposed to open?  This is very different than LR (or any other program I've ever seen), where the program opens up in its own window.  I'm wondering if I have a bad installation?

[sloow]

Assuming Photoshop is open properly, and you have the menu bar at the top, go to Window>Workspace>Basic and you should have the standard tools and menus available.
If the Palettes (Actions, History etc.) are only indicated by icons, you can click on the small double arrows at the top right of the palette box to make them expand.

[Mark F]

I'm attaching a screen grab of what my screen looks like - probably should have done that from the start.

I'll also add that when I click in the non-Ps part of the screen the Ps items just go away somewhere. They are non minimized and the Dock does not show Ps being open on the right side of the Dock.

Assuming Photoshop is open properly, and you have the menu bar at the top, go to Window>Workspace>Basic and you should have the standard tools and menus available.
If the Palettes (Actions, History etc.) are only indicated by icons, you can click on the small double arrows at the top right of the palette box to make them expand.

[Griffin Friedman]

That's exactly how it's supposed to work. This is less a photoshop thing and more a mac thing. It allows you the option to look at multiple applications windows at once. If you really don't like it you can use the f key to cycle through display modes. One of them will fill the entire screen. See that attached screenshots.
[attachment=19381:ss1.jpg][attachment=19382:ss2.jpg]

[Mark F]

By hunting and pecking I discovered that there is an option on the menu bar under Window called Application Frame. Clicking that made everything "right", which to me means Ps looks like every other program I've ever seen.  I need Ps for soft proofing and occasionally adjustment layers, but I'm appreciating LR more and more.

Thank you Griffin and sloow.  I have a hunch I'll  be back, even though I have 2 books on CS4 for photographers