Yes! I'm on my Windows machine at work so I can't play around now, but I didn't seem to be able to do that (in Panther).
Is that a Tiger enhancement, or am I just blind?
(If former, time to upgrade...)
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Finder = The worst thing about OS X
- Thread starter J Radical
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Yes! I'm on my Windows machine at work so I can't play around now, but I didn't seem to be able to do that (in Panther).
Is that a Tiger enhancement, or am I just blind?
(If former, time to upgrade...)No, this was the winner in a Leopard mockup contest. Path Finder has some of those features though, like tabs and sidebar sets.
I know some here advocate just using Spotlight and never filing anything in any folders, because SL will just find it. There was a famous blogger and Apple guru who said something to the effect that he never files these days and doesn't care about where what is, since he only uses SL to find stuff anyway.
Well, that doesn't work for everyone. Quite apart from the problem of Spotlight not always working (or finding low-level unix files f.ex.), even if SL was 100% perfect, it wouldn't work. For example: when I work on a project, I gather all kinds of files over time, which I then use when the time comes. There is no way I'd remember every file that I just threw into a pile, photos, video, random notes, web-clippings etc. I've got Spotlight - except I can't remember all the +500 different files that I threw in there... oops! This is why I must put away files into folders and have access to them visually. Just looking over different folders I may be inspired "ooh, I can use that one!" How are you doing that with Spotlight? That's right, you can't.
This is just one reason why Finder will always be important - and why seeing the filing structure at one glance is important... I like to see the whole tree and don't like the way things are hidden in Finder so you have to give it 50 clicks to get anywhere... I want to see it ALL in one glance, scrolling if necessary.
Well, that doesn't work for everyone. Quite apart from the problem of Spotlight not always working (or finding low-level unix files f.ex.), even if SL was 100% perfect, it wouldn't work. For example: when I work on a project, I gather all kinds of files over time, which I then use when the time comes. There is no way I'd remember every file that I just threw into a pile, photos, video, random notes, web-clippings etc. I've got Spotlight - except I can't remember all the +500 different files that I threw in there... oops! This is why I must put away files into folders and have access to them visually. Just looking over different folders I may be inspired "ooh, I can use that one!" How are you doing that with Spotlight? That's right, you can't.
This is just one reason why Finder will always be important - and why seeing the filing structure at one glance is important... I like to see the whole tree and don't like the way things are hidden in Finder so you have to give it 50 clicks to get anywhere... I want to see it ALL in one glance, scrolling if necessary.
Yes! I'm on my Windows machine at work so I can't play around now, but I didn't seem to be able to do that (in Panther).
Is that a Tiger enhancement, or am I just blind?
I can do it in 10.3.
You just click on the two white lines on the bottom of the scroll bar column and move your mouse left and right.
Really. I'll have to try this when I get home.
Perhaps I'll be cooking some nice crow for supper.
You know, if it helps any, you can stick any folders/documents your want in the side bar. Column view lets you see the tree.
Another thought: You could stick your Documents folder in the dock, that way your documents folder is just a click away and with column view, you can see the tree!
Let it be known that I just want to help you find a way that may make things easier. I'm not trying to belittle you or call you an idiot for not liking something mac (I personally am getting fed up with iPhoto). I really don't see how your filing style could have been any better on Windows. My personal experience with windows has been a sort of web browsing type interface, and you have to constantly click back and forth between windows. Is there a different way that I'm not aware of that is the holy grail of document browsing?
Usually the first thing I do on any Mac I get or after any OS re-install. Should be there by default IMO. Apps folder too.
Ah yes, the control/right-click on the folder in the dock trick. I keep forgetting all these little things OSX can do that's really cool.
Like last night, I was reminded of the shift + Expose/Minimize, maximize slo-mo trick. So cool.
Well, thanks for the helpful suggestions, I appreciate them. However, I'm 3 steps ahead of you with regard to this
I already put the Documents Folder on my dock, and I'm perfectly aware of the Finder Sidebar. However, it is a quirk of OS X inflexibility when it comes to the Documents Folder - it's an OS folder, not an ordinary folder, and that causes endless problems. I don't want to sidetrack the discussion here, but by coincidence this exact topic has been covered by the thread I started in this forum (OS X) titled: "Documents Folder Mess!" a few threads below. Yep, it's a problem with OS X.
I remember what the issue is now. Yes, you can resize the columns. But close the window, and open it again, and the columns are back to the usual size. I can't figure out how to keep them resized, either on a global or folder-by-folder basis.
Any thoughts?
Option Expand
Yup - hold down the Option key while resizing a column. It seems to expand the default size for any column-viewed window you go to!!! Who knows if it'll hold after re-boot, but it seems to be working so far.
I take payment in chocolate.
Yup - hold down the Option key while resizing a column. It seems to expand the default size for any column-viewed window you go to!!! Who knows if it'll hold after re-boot, but it seems to be working so far.
I take payment in chocolate.
Thanks for that. That's one step closer to automatic resize, I guess. If I change one column it resets next time I open a window. If I resize while pressing Option it seems to remember it when I open the next. Is that right? If so, that seems a little...odd.Yup - hold down the Option key while resizing a column. It seems to expand the default size for any column-viewed window you go to!!! Who knows if it'll hold after re-boot, but it seems to be working so far.
I take payment in chocolate.
Ah, excellent -- thanks, I'll try this when I get home.
About 12 years ago (it's been that long?!) I helped a friend's mother with some computer issues. I joked that "I take payment in jellybeans". Sure enough, a week later I got a parcel, containing 2 pounds of jellybeans!
I don't mind the Finder too much. Yes, I am a linguistic learner, so I can find things in an alphabetised list pretty well. But I just mainly use spotlight for a lot of things. Spotlight is the one thing that's completely changed the way I use a computer.
The whole discussion has left me thinking that not knowing the keyboard shortcuts is a very real knowledge gap for mac users. I wonder, is there a full list anywhere?
Ouch!
Ouch!
In the Finder, choose Mac Help from the Help menu or command-?. Type keyboard shortcuts into the search field and press <return> or <enter> and you'll see a long list of results for shortcuts of many things.
I've found pathfinder to be great, except that the finder is still there. even if you disable finder desktop and put up pathfinder desktop, use dockless on the finder, the finder is still solidly on the dock, even if it isn't displayed as open. THAT's a pain.