This feature exists and it is nice to have it. But comand-clicking, moving the mouse pointer to the desired directory and clicking again is still way more complicated than just having one button to go one level up. And in the customizing menu for the tool bar there are lots of buttons which are used much less frequently than such a button would be. (For instance there are special buttons for eject and burn which are already in the side bar next to the drives, there is a new folder button which is also accessible via the action menu button.)
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Finder = The worst thing about OS X
- Thread starter J Radical
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This feature exists and it is nice to have it. But comand-clicking, moving the mouse pointer to the desired directory and clicking again is still way more complicated than just having one button to go one level up. And in the customizing menu for the tool bar there are lots of buttons which are used much less frequently than such a button would be. (For instance there are special buttons for eject and burn which are already in the side bar next to the drives, there is a new folder button which is also accessible via the action menu button.)
I've always hoped that an OS and software package can be developed so that I would never need to demand anything of programmes like Finder that look directly at what is on your hard drive. Apple have come the closest with iLife. iTunes and iPhoto mean I can now just ignore large parts of my hard drive - my Documents folder is now the only thing I look at through Finder on a day-to-day basis, although I hope iWork 2007 will change all this.
You know you've completed the transition from Windows to OSX when the folder-hierarchy system no longer feels natural and infact feels completely counter-intuitive and a hassle.
You know you've completed the transition from Windows to OSX when the folder-hierarchy system no longer feels natural and infact feels completely counter-intuitive and a hassle.
I've been a Mac usr for 2 years now and am getting very tired of the "Mac is always right" attitude of so many users here; please note that I say "here", because this kind of attitude is thankfully missing in action on the Apple forums, and I am glad I found them before this board or I would have never gotten a Mac. Just because different people prefer different ways of working does not make either one "right" and the other one "wrong". My wife and I are very different in our ways of thinking (I'm an engineer and she is an artist), but it doesn't make either of us "right", only different. It is high time that the users on this board get that point through their heads. And just because the Mac has always done something one way doesn't mean it can't be improved, at least for some people. Please let us all just get along and not try to force each other into a certain mold. One size does not always fit all.
Sorry if you're surprised some people at MacRumors like Macs just the way they are and don't want them to change.
People are always passionate about what they like. If you bought a Mac just because you thought people weren't going to be like " oh my god macs are sweet" then you were wrong. Just like how so many people love their PC's, so many people love their macs. I love my mac because it has preformed my daily tasks without problem or question for many many years. I think that is plenty to brag about. I don't want to have a buy a new computer ever year.
OS updates dont count?
Anyway, just use what you want. After all you paid the money for whatever, im not going to tell you how to send it. I got a mac because their reputation for reliability was great, and off of a recommendation from a friend. In my opinion is was a great choice. If you like how cheap a Dell is, or a Viao, or whater, then by all means get that
OS updates dont count?
Anyway, just use what you want. After all you paid the money for whatever, im not going to tell you how to send it. I got a mac because their reputation for reliability was great, and off of a recommendation from a friend. In my opinion is was a great choice. If you like how cheap a Dell is, or a Viao, or whater, then by all means get that
I think the OP has a couple valid points about the Finder: specifically the bug where the folders/files end up stacked so you can't read the names and the random file off in the far corner problem.
Personally, I think the OP needs to look into finding some custom icons to aid him in locating the folders he uses most often. Also, I noticed three MP3 files in the documents folder, those could probably by put in the Music folder or a "random MP3s" folder or maybe just a "Random" folder. My documents folder has sub-folders for my classes, other projects, chats, personal stuff and then also folders for Clippings and Random (I have my Downloads folder in my Home Folder just to reduce the clutter in the Documents folder). Also, you might try adding some of those folders you access most often in the Dock or the Sidebar.
Personally, I think the OP needs to look into finding some custom icons to aid him in locating the folders he uses most often. Also, I noticed three MP3 files in the documents folder, those could probably by put in the Music folder or a "random MP3s" folder or maybe just a "Random" folder. My documents folder has sub-folders for my classes, other projects, chats, personal stuff and then also folders for Clippings and Random (I have my Downloads folder in my Home Folder just to reduce the clutter in the Documents folder). Also, you might try adding some of those folders you access most often in the Dock or the Sidebar.
I am not "passionate" or "rabid" about any operating system; they are, after all, just tools to get our jobs done. Yes, I have only used Macs for 2 years, so I could still be called a switcher, but I bought it because I was getting tired of the seemingly daily maintenance required to keep my Windows systems running smoothly (I've been with DOS/Windows since day 1, and CP/M before that), and have not been disappointed. Just becaue I switched at home does not eman that I am anti-Windows or pro-Mac or anything else; I still maintain a Windows box for my wife (who refuses to switch from what she knows) and work with XP all day at work. Each and every operating system has its good and bad points. Please just give me the options to configure things the way that I work best, instead of trying to force me to work the way you want me to work. I don't see what is so wrong with that.
I find that the finder is one of the greatest things in OSX. When I saw a friend boot up his ibook and look through folders through columns, my jaw dropped to the floor. What a perfect way to view the contents on your hard drive! With the addition of the sidebar for quick access to folders, it was such an improvement over what I had been used to in Windows.
Now of course, everyone is different, and people have different tastes in now people should search their files. If people want folders on top, I can't change your mind: I respect everyone's opinion on that. However, I think that the Mac has a lot of room for customization to suit one's needs.
Now of course, everyone is different, and people have different tastes in now people should search their files. If people want folders on top, I can't change your mind: I respect everyone's opinion on that. However, I think that the Mac has a lot of room for customization to suit one's needs.
Isn't that the thing? You've let yourself become a part of the process. You're not fighting it anymore.
There are a lot of people who want to change that way iTunes and iPhoto work because they themselves aren't managing things. It's probably something to do with a loss of control. I'm quite content to let certain things be managed for me. I just wish that I could find software for everything to do that. (Then again, I should write it myself.)
Selecting Keep Arranged By... in the View Options would be a way to fix it and you can select that by window or for all windows.
You should never have to resort to third party applications for the file manager. The Finder isn't bad for light use, but try to do anything "non-standard" and it's a pain.
I am very curious as to what "non-standard" file management is. I am in no way trying to sound condescending or anything: I am truly curious what you mean by this.
If we're Finder bashing, I'd have to add a "Me too" to this. I only ever use column view (and can't understand why anyone would use anything but; though that's a different discussion) and many/most of the file names are too long. And with the ellipses in the middle the names are often unrecognizable. Sure you can double-click the two horizontal marks but it would be nice if the columns opened to the max width automatically. There would have to be a limit, of course, but about another 50% to the default would be enough.
That's probably my only complaint, actually - comparing the current Finder with the older generation clicking on ever deeper folders and sub-folders I'd say it's a miracle.
Why should I fight the process that makes things easier for me? I have no problem with the way iTunes manages my files. Although improvements could be made, its way better than the way my MP3 collection was organised on my PC (I never used iTunes on my PC).
If you feel the need to take direct control of your files through Finder and similar programmes, then thats because you don't feel the available management software is adequete. For me, I can't imagine what useful things Finder would let you do with your music files that iTunes doesnt, but that's just me.
Maybe those of you who hate or dislike Finder so much would like Macintosh Explorer and it's on some deal today for fewer than $10.
Finder is the most basic and fundamental expression of the GUI concept Apple pioneered so long ago. The idea that you can organize your files visually and intuitively know where to find them is central to using any OS. This makes how bad OS X's finder is so shocking.
You can't organize your folders the way you want them, you can only choose one level of organisation: kind, size label etc. After that everything defaults to alphabetical. This doesn't sound like much, but it becomes incredibly fustrating when I want all my folders at the top of the window (obviously) but in an order of priority that isn't based on the first letter of the folder. I end up with a mess of folders that I need to drag and drop manually to make any sense of.
This wouldn't be so bad if I only had to do so once, but oh no. Finder has the other amazing ability of not allowing you to maintain your own formatting regime. Daft horizontal scroll bars appear if you drag a file a teensy bit too far to the right, instead of intuitively placing the file at say, the bottom of the folder, or better just shift the files beside the one your dragging out of the way like in the dock.
The resulting mess is usually one file hiding way to the left or right of the rest of the folder pointlessly, and if you try to restore order using the 'clean up' function it makes things 1000 times worse, and forces you to spend another ten minutes just to get things back to the less broken way they were before.
I could go on, but suffice to say the finder drives me NUTS. This kind of basic basic basic file & folder management is done better in Windows XP, what the hell is Apple waiting for, PLEEEASE fix it in tiger before leopard. These are after all basically bugs that have existed for years, all the fancy spotlight stuff and wonderful colour coding of folders is worth nothing without proper object management.
You are 100% correct, but that is not even the tip of the iceberg. Many other faults are listed by the other posts, so I won't go into it.
I am thinking about writing some sort of a review, having just purchased a MacBook after 20 years of PC use (not trashing the PC anytime soon). This was the first thing I was going to write about.
I am shocked at how pathetic it is. File Manager in Windows 3.1 is better than Finder.
Heh...Well I found this on google images the other day. Looks an improvement:
EDIT: Im not sure whether this is an "add-on" for Tiger, or some new screens!
I think that this is a screenshot of the application called pathfinder.
Yeah ive just sourced the images, and it is a 'mock up' for a competition someone entered. To be honest tho, its a rather good guess at leopard - I'de hope to see something like that!
Yes! It's the only view I use for day-to-day navigating on my Mac.
Now if only I could stretch the columns out to be just a tad wider so I can see the long file names.
Now if only I could stretch the columns out to be just a tad wider so I can see the long file names.
Like this?
Finder has really growned on me since I switch in late '04, not to mention now there isn't really a need to use Finder is one doesn't want, for most things
Spotlight!
Spotlight!