Three questions from a Windows refugee

[Benbikeman]

I recently switched back to Mac after many years on Windows. I started with Snow Leopard, and am now running Lion.

I'm 99.99% sorted with the switch and the OSX way of doing things, but there are three things I miss from Windows and can't see how to do them in OSX.

First, if I'm browsing folders in thumbnail mode, I used to hit the backspace key to go back a level. In OSX, I have to click the back button.

Second, I quite often want a window to be full height but its existing width. In Windows, I'd just double-click the top of the window and it would maximise the height while leaving the width unchanged. In OSX, I have to drag first the top then the bottom of the window (or first position at the top, then drag the bottom).

Third, in Windows, if a window is out of focus, I could click on it to simultaneously bring it into focus and carry out an action. For example, if a browser is out of focus, click on a link. In OSX, clicking a link just brings the browser into focus, I have to click a second time to activate the link.

Is there any way to do these things in Lion?

 

[paulsalter]

First, if I'm browsing folders in thumbnail mode, I used to hit the backspace key to go back a level. In OSX, I have to click the back button.

not sure on others, but CMD+Page up goes back a level if you want to use the keyboard

 

[Benbikeman]

Great, thanks. One down, two to go.

(I don't have PageUp on my MBP keyboard, but CMD-up-arrow turns out to work too.)

 

[Hansr]

1) CMD+Up Key
2) http://www.irradiatedsoftware.com/cinch/
3) You're not going to be able to change that, this is a fundamental difference in how the system handles interactions and has a lot to expose etc. I think there is a way to overwrite it on a per application basis but it must be built from source that way.

 

[Benbikeman]

Thanks, Hans

 

[AdrianK]

First, if I'm browsing folders in thumbnail mode, I used to hit the backspace key to go back a level. In OSX, I have to click the back button.

You can do a three-finger swipe to the left to go back in Finder and Safari, it needs to be enables in System Preferences > Trackpad > More Gestures > Swipe Between Pages > Three Fingers.

 

[Benbikeman]

You can do a three-finger swipe to the left to go back in Finder and Safari, it needs to be enables in System Preferences > Trackpad > More Gestures > Swipe Between Pages > Three Fingers.

I have that enabled, and it works in Safari but not Finder. No matter, anyway, as I much prefer keyboard shortcuts for that type of stuff (love the gestures for Launchpad and Mission Control, though!).