Alternatives to Finder for Lion

Glad you found Path Finder. There is also Total Finder for an integrated feel.

 

I also use pathfinder. It is not a perfect solution but it works definitely a lot better than this annoyingly useless standard finder.
It still has some bugs but at least navigation and stuff works much quicker and you get some options for viewing. It also sorts folders first and files next unlike finder which mixes them all, I hated that. Especially in big dev folders with many jars navigation is a pain the normal finder way.
Desktop and Trash are part of finder thus if you want to completely replace the old one it is not that easy.

 

Pathfinder is quite good. Go for it.

 

I tried PathFinder, but there are two things (so far) that I can't seem to figure out. Maybe I'm just missing something, but is there no "Date Added" column available like Finder has? And the other thing is that it doesn't remember the sort selection for each folder. It just defaults back to Name/Ascending.

 

There are a couple of way outta the box Finder replacements, Raskin and Conjure. Worth a look at.

And although I wouldn't call it a total Finder replacement, I like Leap. It's particularly useful when dealing with folders of documents, and really shines if you're into tagging. It's kind of a tagging finder. Not so helpful when you're just slogging through system files, where TotalFinder or PathFinder work better.

The Finder really is tired. Can't anyone come up with a better metaphor than a desktop and folders?? You'd think by now I could just start a computer and begin writing. Then, when I finished, it asks: what do you want to do with this? I answer email it. It says, who? I answer. Done.

 

Good point. I suppose it's one of those things that people have just got used to and that are so ingrained into the structure of most OSs that it would take a bit of a leap of faith to meddle with it. Whilst I didn't like the lack of 'Save As' in Lion as it was badly implemented with tedious workarounds and lack of support from the rest of the OS, it is a bold step in this kind of direction by Apple.

What would be a good alternative to the 1980s office stylings of desktops and folders? Are there any already in existence?

 

Most people seem to prefer Path Finder. Does it slow down your system in any way? I'm considering buying it

 

I really like TotalFinder for the Chrome-like tab integration.

 

I came here to find a replacement for Path Finder, which would be an acceptable app if it didn't crash daily. I wasn't impressed with Total Finder, when I tried it. Oh, well.

 

Can I ask what particular feature you want that is lacking in the Finder? You can implement a great deal with Automator/AppleScript. There are also a great many Finder features that are often overlooked, such as Smart Folders.