Photo Booth Managed by Library in Lion

[CalMin]

Apple has always made things to "keep people out" unless those people knew what they were doing. They've never removed access for those who wanted a way in, however. "Show Package Contents" is still a right-click away. I'm all for throwing out our outdated file system metaphor, however. I'd much rather the computer simply keep a database of files, and offer you a presentation of groupings of files based on what program you're using to access it. Apple's headed in the right direction with iOS, and I think Mac OS X has been headed there slower but for a long time. If the whole concept of the folder-based hierarchy could be eliminated, I feel that computing as a whole could move forward with a better approach. It only remains to be seen who will come up with the next metaphor that will be used.

jW

Totally agree with all these points. However, what it does do is drive people nuts who are used to the Windows way of doing things.

I convinced a friend of mine to get a MacBook and he hated that he never knew where his 'damn photos were'. I told him to just let go of file structures and use iPhoto to manage it, but he just couldn't. And that's even after showing him the show package contents - he hated the way iPhoto decided. After 6 months, the MacBook got sold.

And that's ultimately the problem with file systems. They are a useful paradigm. They mirror the real world of documents inside folders, we can organize them and move them around and put them in orders that make sense to us. They are just not as efficient as having a computer do it.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

...Until you realised you could open it like a folder and then everything was okay again?

I don't have to Show Package Contents on every folder now do I?

 

[jowie]

Nothing wrong with this approach... Originally, I disliked it because I felt like it encouraged a duplication of data. (EG. Instead of just drilling down into a folder and finding the photo you wanted to send someone, and attaching it to an email -- you're forced to export a duplicate of an existing copy in the library and then email THAT duplicate.)

But I think the point is that when you create that email and press the Attachment button, you can browse your photos and select the ones you wish to send, right from within the Open Dialog.

I guess Apple is 'encouraging' (forcing) you to do things a certain way...

 

[jowie]

I don't have to Show Package Contents on every folder now do I?

Just the Library one. When you're inside, everything looks just like it did before and you can browse as you like.

 

[morespce54]

...Using the new Open Dialog options for iTunes and iPhoto is actually rather useful.

You got a point...
But it better be much more useful

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Just the Library one. When you're inside, everything looks just like it did before and you can browse as you like.

I think you're missing my point.
(My point is that this is less convenient, and not only less convenient, but also confusing and not immediately obvious.)

 

[jowie]

No! I really hope not (and I'm pretty sure they will... eventually... )

I really can't think of a reason why they shouldn't do this though.

Maybe... but lets face it, the time you'll save by not rearranging your files in the Finder is the time you'll spend rearranging them in your (whatever) app...

But at least in iTunes I can arrange them properly with ID tags, and other things in far more detail than I could ever do in the Finder.

 

[jowie]

Totally agree with all these points. However, what it does do is drive people nuts who are used to the Windows way of doing things.

I thought the "Windows way of doing things" was to hide Control panels in a bewildering array of menus, and showing blank windows if you tried to access any Program Files or System folders?

 

[jowie]

I think you're missing my point.
(My point is that this is less convenient, and not only less convenient, but also confusing and not immediately obvious.)

I was deflecting

I know, I've heard from other people who felt like that. Even without the iTunes Library being a package, I know people who hate using iTunes because of the way it takes over everything for you.

It's usually the people who are too used to file systems to let go (cold, dead hands etc). If you're tapping into a new generation though, they can 'get' the new way of doing things more.

There's no point pandering to people who are too stuck in their ways to move things forward.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

I was deflecting

I know, I've heard from other people who felt like that. Even without the iTunes Library being a package, I know people who hate using iTunes because of the way it takes over everything for you.

It's usually the people who are too used to file systems to let go (cold, dead hands etc). If you're tapping into a new generation though, they can 'get' the new way of doing things more.

There's no point pandering to people who are too stuck in their ways to move things forward.

That's cold, man.

 

[jowie]

That's cold, man.

If ya use Apple, you gotta think like Apple.

 

[Gemütlichkeit]

Steve Jobs quest to get rid of Finder

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

If ya use Apple, you gotta think like Apple.

Well, I'm done here.

 

[asdf542]

I can see the Finder (or just the filesystem in general) going the way of Terminal. Still going to be there for those who need it, but the mass majority of consumers won't bother with it.

 

[roland.g]

I really hope you're right about the "right-clicking-Show-Package-Contents" option still being available (and I couldn't see why not) because I'm sort of an old school type and I like to copy/paste some photos (or files) on my USB thumb-drive (specially the original versions) without having to go through the whole "send or share a (scale down) picture with your social friend(s)" type of options apps offer these days...


I agree with the folder-based metaphor getting a bit old but I'm so use to have (the impression of) control over *my* files.

Sure, I right-click Show Package Contents as well. But if I want to put something from my library on a thumb, it is quite easy to select photos in iPhoto, select Export, choose full-size (which should be default) and select the thumb drive as the location.

 

[Slix]

I didn't realize anyone these days actually wanted to open the Library folders. iPhoto is the way to organize and find your photos, I'd think.

 

[brayhite]

As long as I don't have to open up multiple applications to upload photos online, I'm okay. They should just consolidate or make alias folders for everything so you can still access files via the folder system AND keep everything in order in iPhoto, iTunes, Photo Booth, etc.

 

[fabian9]

I really hope Apple will do something to address the fact that an iPhoto library seems to take up about 3 times as much space as a manually managed library!

 

[mw360]

And that's ultimately the problem with file systems. They are a useful paradigm. They mirror the real world of documents inside folders, we can organize them and move them around and put them in orders that make sense to us. They are just not as efficient as having a computer do it.

I'm looking forward to the day filesystems are gone (hidden) forever. They're not actually all that useful, just familiar, and they're a massive waste of time when you do a lot of saving and opening.

You have only one way to categorise your files - by the folder they are in, and you're having to manually apply that categorisation not just every time you save the file (by browsing to the correct folder) but every time you open it too (by browsing to the correct folder again). And obviously, you need to remember the categorisation you applied (the folder you saved it in), otherwise you might have delays finding the file again. That's the kind of tedious nonsense computers are supposed to eradicate.

I think once you've adjusted, library databases are far quicker and more flexible, with folders, and keywords, and projects and other metadata. (I'm thinking of aperture here as an example). The only trouble is I can't see 3rd parties eg Adobe, Autodesk etc moving quite so fast.

 

[Esrhan]

Funny thing, I've always tried to keep applications out of my file system. A very hard habit to kick for a packrat like me.

 

[tkermit]

lets face it, the time you'll save by not rearranging your files in the Finder is the time you'll spend rearranging them in your (whatever) app...

at least in iTunes I can arrange them properly with ID tags, and other things in far more detail than I could ever do in the Finder.

And I really wouldn't even call it "arranging". You're just providing additional metadata - which, ideally would already be present in the files.

 

[interconnect]

My only issue with this is that I don't think iPhoto does a good job at storing and organizing your pictures. I think it's a bit unnecessary to store multiple copies of a photo in multiple places at multiple different qualities. Also, when you delete a picture, it's not really deleted and still remains on your hard drive, taking up space. If iPhoto did a better job of storing and organizing your photos, I'd be more inclined to trust it.

 

[vinnie603]

My only issue with this is that I don't think iPhoto does a good job at storing and organizing your pictures. I think it's a bit unnecessary to store multiple copies of a photo in multiple places at multiple different qualities. Also, when you delete a picture, it's not really deleted and still remains on your hard drive, taking up space. If iPhoto did a better job of storing and organizing your photos, I'd be more inclined to trust it.

I really hope Apple will do something to address the fact that an iPhoto library seems to take up about 3 times as much space as a manually managed library!

totally agree with you guys!

 

[acslater017]

This news item was written by a person with no clue and a very big tin foil hat.

Well, obviously Finder is still there in Lion. But it does seem like Apple is slowly trying to phase out the file system. iOS doesn't have one. Many of Apple's own OS X apps (e.g. iWork) simply present the user with a list of relevant documents when the app is opened. Steve Jobs has publicly said that the file system is the most difficult concept for people to learn (something to the effect of "You're teaching someone to use a Mac - the easiest computer to use - and then you hit the file system. The level of difficulty goes up exponentially. It's hard to comprehend for people")

I'm sure it is safe and sound in Lion. But even then there are shortcuts like "All My Files", increased QuickLook functionality, etc. I'd be surprised if there wasn't some more workarounds in the next version of OS X. The traditional file system will still be accessible for old-schoolers, but maybe unnecessary for most folks...

 

[kiljoy616]

Very nice. Now of course the old fart need to die off before we move on. Oh the days of "real men type out their commands" comes to mind with some of the comments.