Save as won't move the file. Here's how to move it:
1. Open Download folder
2. Select file, Command-C
3. Go to destination folder
4. Option-Command-V
Or if you just want to copy and the PDF is open in Preview:
1. Open destination folder
2. Option-drag file icon in title bar of Preview to destination folder.
Both of these methods work in Lion or earlier.
I don't want to move it or copy it with its existing name. I want to save it as something to the folder of my choice via a simple save as, put name of choice, choose folder to save it at. I will delete it from downloads in batches once a month or so.
Do you realise how cumbersome your four steps are in method a and you still have not renamed the file yet? Moving between finder folder. Why go to the original folder? I have already opened the file in preview.
Option b is three moves (1a is click finder window) plus another to rename the file.
Do you realise now how helpful save as has always been and why there was an original reason people much brighter than the current os x dev leadership used it? You click save as and you save a file with the name you choose in the folder you choose there and then in one dialog box.
Save as via keybaord shortcut then choose folder put name in and press return. You are already in preview, or any other app for that matter, why go to finder first, copy it then go to the other folder paste it, hope you be not put a lot of files there and they are sorted also by date added so your file comes on top, double click it, rename it, press return.
Duplicate is stupid much like os x 10.7 lion, a seemingly better way to do things that is actually worse and is badly thought by people who are following a great legacy but would like to think they are more clever than they really are. Clever in ui design means as simple as possible, clever on os's means not introducing one possibly useful function (say versioning) and over applying it to the point of ruining basic functionality (save as), adding redundant data when the user does not want it. This is not clever, it's bloatware. Clever in ui design is defaulting a simple great idea, not defaulting a functionality that messes up people's workflows and makes matters worse only because your ego thinks you have created something great which people should be forced to comply with.
I am not here to comfort the ego of federichi or any other millionaire dev at apple who wants me to do it one way, their way, but their way is **** or at least not useful for me to begin with. They should be giving me the option to do it they way I used, and they had implemented better, or at least best for me. No one is complaining that the top search should be optional, or that the search in menus for apps should be optional because these were great simple ui ideas that are usefull to a lot of people, and they are out to their way when unused. So our hot corners, so os colour coding, so are smart folders.
I don't want to be forced to version ALL my files and duplicate, wait for self same window to pop up then save. Why can't they get it that this isn't such a universally great or useful idea, and in the case of duplicate it's even worse, that they habpve to force it upon their users without an option to disable it. Just cause they spent a year or so developping it, doesn't mean users like it or want it, they can have it on their own macs and admire their "genius" design. It's not such a core os feature like the kernel, or cocoa that I want choice over. It's a ui feature. If they think it's great they can be my guests and use it on their macs, if I think it's crap I should be able to disable it on mine.
There a fine line between rightly enforcing one elegant correct way of doing things in the Jobsian ethos, and dictating crap ways of doing things.
There is also a fine line between good and great, sadly there's a fine line between good and crap too, and the os x team seem to have managed to make a great leap from close to great to crap with lion.
