Switcher Q: what's with these "drives" that appear on the desktop for certain prgrms?

[anthonymoody]

For example, I downloaded Macintosh Explorer (b/c the Finder's file management and navigation is really poor IMO) and every once in a while a "drive" appears on the desktop. I can "eject" it and the program still runs, but it comes back sometimes. Did I do something wrong in the installation?
Maybe a preference issue?

Thanks in advance,
TM

 

[robbieduncan]

These "drives" are probably disk images (are the icons for them white drives?). A disk image is a file that contains a byte-for-byte filesystem. They are often used to distribute software. If you dowbload some software then drag the application from the disk image to somwhere on your hard drive (Applications folder makes sense). Then unmount the image. You can then delete the .dmg file that contains the disk image.

 

[kdawg]

open up the drive and drag the app into the applications folder. From there you can eject/delete the drive.

 

[bpd115]

and give Finder a chance....much better than Windows Explorer after you get used to it.

 

[wPod]

what does macintosh explorer do that finder doesnt? oh, it must hide files 10 folders deep so you can play hide and seek with your files. other than that, with all the customizations with finder you can get it to do everything a windows explorer does.

 

[anthonymoody]

Thanks for the info on the drive images.

Re: the shortcomings of the Finder, specifically, what I want is the ability to see all the information about a file that you see in the second of the three View choices (where icons is first, list is second, and columns is third) within the third View choice.

Specifically, in addition to file name, the list View shows you:
-file size
-file type
-modified date

...AND lets you sort by that info. Often I hunt for the file I want based on this information (I have many files with similar names and therefore modified date is of particular use to me).

Anyway, I've been navigating in the List View but prefer the Columns View b/c I like to see the file path laid out in front of me while I'm navigating.

If you can explain how to get all the info in the Column View, as well as the ability to sort by that info, I'd be much obliged.

Thanks,
TM

 

[ChrisFromCanada]

I would hardly call those minor things "really poor"

 

[Mechcozmo]

You don't need the filepath. If you have a good number of aliases (shortcuts) then you don't have to worry about the filepath. And if you modify something that relies on a filepath, then it auto updates. Kewl, eh?

 

[Abstract]

Finder is poor. Many people know this.

It was poor in Jaguar, and Apple acknowledged this, so they "fixed" it when they released Panther, as SJ said during the Keynote where Panther was introduced. But lets face it, it isn't really pleasant to use.

I never heard of Macintosh Explorer, but I might give it a shot.

 

[anthonymoody]

Chris,
You are certainly entitled to your opinion but please trust me - when you need to see and manipulate your files in a certain manner and cannot, it is extremely frustrating and makes the use of the program in question - as well as my opinion of it - poor.

MechCozmo,
I know the way file paths work. Even Windows is now 'smart' enough to dynamically reroute in programs etc if the path changes. Adding aliases does not solve my problem. It's not a question of *accessing* a given folder at a given time, it's a question of visually *seeing* the path. It's an important part of the way my information needs to be sorted and categorized (specific to my work). Please do not presume to tell me to do my work in a different manner

Abstract,
The more I poke around Macintosh Explorer the more I like it except for one thing - it does not actually 'replace' the Finder. So within a program for instance if you go to open a file or something, you see the Finder, not Macintosh Explorer. If they had a way to change this then for me it'd be a great solution.

Thanks for all your thoughts on this.

TM