Just an informal question that I've wondered about for a long time. Unless one never keeps any folders at all on the desktop, I cannot see the point of an HD icon on the desktop because it just takes you to the Finder anyway.
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HD icon on the desktop. Why?
- Thread starter dogbone
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It takes you to the top-level of your files and folders. Err how do I say that in a better way. The starting point of the system, giving you a view of the whole system instead of just your user files and folders...
You can remove the icon from your desktop anyway.
You can remove the icon from your desktop anyway.
HD > /, Ok that's fair enough and if OSX did not allow you to put a HD icon on the topbar or sidebar of the Finder then it may be useful to go straight to the /
I find it difficult to believe that the average anal mac user (that'd be I) who does not like superfluous desktop furniture,) and if you have any other folders on the desktop then it *is* superfluous), would want an pointless extra icon on the DT.
I find it difficult to believe that the average anal mac user (that'd be I) who does not like superfluous desktop furniture,) and if you have any other folders on the desktop then it *is* superfluous), would want an pointless extra icon on the DT.
swingerofbirch
macrumors 68040
I wish Apple had an option for no icons to display on the desktop.
Plus for people (like my grandmother), the "desktop" is way too confusing. There's the Finder, the desktop folder, and the desktop itself.
Why is it even needed? For me it's a catch all for downloading stuff from the net, but why couldn't it just appear in a Finder window, is it neccessary to have it litter the background of my computer as well?
Plus for people (like my grandmother), the "desktop" is way too confusing. There's the Finder, the desktop folder, and the desktop itself.
Why is it even needed? For me it's a catch all for downloading stuff from the net, but why couldn't it just appear in a Finder window, is it neccessary to have it litter the background of my computer as well?
Well you can remove it in Finder preferences, so no problem.
You can, pretty much, just go to Finder preferences and de-select the options to see the HD icon and other storage icons on the desktop. Unless something then is downloaded to there, it'll be free of everything.
edit: the original idea for a Desktop (like circa 1984) was to function like a physical desktop. But, remember: "a clean desk is a sign of a sick mind" (tongue firmly in cheek...) Personally, I think it's someone the other way around, but I'm not a good measure - my Desktop drives me nuts (81 items). I just can't figure good pigeon holes for them.
You don't need to save files to the desktop. For instance, Safari can be set to save files to any location (Safari>Preferences>General)
Finder has options to show or hide several items, including Hard Disks.
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Sure, but then again Apple could have put a Home Folder option that you could also elect to not show.
It's not so much that I wonder why Apple put it there rather than why anyone would elect to show it unless it was the only directory on the DT.
er I don't want a desktop icon either for the same reason, it's superfluous, it was just an analogy.
No dock icons are spring loaded, and any other folder on the desktop is as spring loaded as the HD and not only that but all the icons in the sidebar of a Finder window are also spring loaded, so there.
Create new folder on desktop, call it "mess", select everything on desktop except "mess", drag and drop it in to "mess", done!
*Your welcome to use other names for your new folder...
No dock icons are spring loaded, and any other folder on the desktop is as spring loaded as the HD and not only that but all the icons in the sidebar of a Finder window are also spring loaded, so there.
You can drag and drop onto dock icons, they are not spring-loaded.
Even if you put a HD icon in the dock to drop things onto, so what? how does that alter anything, even if (one wanted to do this which is pointless) you still leave the HD icon in the dock and while not showing it on the DT.
No one has yet come up with any logical reason to have the icon on the DT unless it's the only directory.
I'm not quite sure where you got the idea I suggested placing the HD icon onto the dock, I certainly wasn't implying as such.
Look, you can either click on the Finder icon on the dock to place a file within it or you can drag the same file over the spring-loaded HD icon to achieve the same effect with one less mouse click. I prefer the latter.
Create new folder on desktop, call it "mess", select everything on desktop except "mess", drag and drop it in to "mess", done!
*Your welcome to use other names for your new folder...
That's what I did back in my Win dows days!
I may have misinterpreted, but it was this quote that implied such...
"The HD icon is spring-loaded, the Finder icon in the dock is not."
As I said that's not a reason to have the HD on the desktop unless it's the only folder. As I've said ad nauseam ALL folders are spring loaded.
Let me ask you this...do you keep any folders on your desktop other than the HD?
But when you drop a folder onto the spring open HD surely you navigate further, I mean you don't just dump unenclosed files on the HD. In other words you can do this with any folder. And if you use the Spacebar shortcut when springing the trap, it will spring open instantly anyway.
I can see now how you could have misinterpreted that statement although it wasn't intentionally implied.
Yes but if the HD icon is absent from the DT you lose drag and drop functionality unless you open Finder from the dock (or cmd+n which only works if the DT is already selected). All folders being spring-loaded has never been in contention.
Not for the most part.
Yes, I usually do navigate further. My point was Finder must first be open to drag files into it (unlike the HD icon on the DT) and since Finder's dock icon isn't spring loaded you lose that functionality straight from the DT.
Here's an example how I use the HD icon the most: There is a picture on the web I want to save and place in my pictures folder. I simply drag the file over the HD icon on the DT, spring it open then drop the file into "Pictures" on the sidebar.
Without the HD icon you'd have to do it like this: Assuming Finder isn't already open you must first drag and drop the file onto the DT, open Finder from the dock then drag the picture over the open Finder and drop it on the "Pictures" sidebar. That's two extra steps.
dogbone said:
Well in that case yo have completely missed the thread premise which is...
dogbone said:
Is this where the confusion lies, I forgot to repeat myself the fifth time? And I thought that thrice was belabouring the point.
fistful said:
Well that's just what I'd expect someone to do who only had the HD icon on the desktop but if you ever keep any other folders on the desktop and (I'll bet most people do) then you can perform the identical manoeuvre one any folder.
The drive icon on the desktop was (somewhat) more useful before we had the Dock. And even so, it can be nice to see all mounted volumes on the Desktop. Plus you can have a pretty custom icon.
p.s. I never keep any folders at all on the desktop, 'sides anything I've recently downloaded, and then it's only temporary.
p.s. I never keep any folders at all on the desktop, 'sides anything I've recently downloaded, and then it's only temporary.
The drive icon on the desktop was (somewhat) more useful before we had the Dock. And even so, it can be nice to see all mounted volumes on the Desktop. Plus you can have a pretty custom icon.
p.s. I never keep any folders at all on the desktop, 'sides anything I've recently downloaded, and then it's only temporary.
Hey you've just given me a great idea! Instead of having the real HD icon on the desktop one could create a folder that is used as a dump for later sorting and then give it the HD icon of your choice.
Then you have a pretty looking HD icon but you can either dump stuff on it or spring load stuff on it to drill down. Brilliant, why didn't I think of that before.
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I love having all mounted drives on the Desktop. I always launch finder via these. I never place anything else on my Desktop unless it's temporary
It continues to be useful even if there are other folders on the dt (for moving folders and/or files).
I'm not going to bother with this back and forth anymore. It seem I've repeated myself numerous times as well with out it going through. You know, except for the snide remarks.
All I'm going to say is I use the functionality of having my HD icon on the desktop just as I believe Apple intended the feature to be used for. If you don't agree you have the option to remove it. Simple as that.
How would you get to the root of the drive?
I got lost reading this thread. So instead of having my HD on the Desktop, you propose I put aliases to the Applications folder, Documents folder, Movies folder, Pictures folder, and website folders because these are the folders I drag things too? Although, dragging is becoming less of a habit as I learn Quicksilver. I prefer to only have mounted drives on my desktop. Two icons are better than 5. I guess it all comes down to preference.