MAC heads - how do i use finder??

Alexis Forge · Post by **Alexis Forge** » Fri May 18, 2007 1:55 am

k. So I'm using my girlfriends macbook and there is one thing that keeps really irritating me in finder

in windows explorer you have the left column where you can see the folders, and each of them have + signs so they can be expanded and you can select a different folder, see it's contents in the right hand column and drag or copy a file from the right into a different sub folder in the left because you can expand and see all the sub folders

every time I do this on the mac I have to drag it to the main top folder and hold it there until it opens it then do the same down every level until I get to the folder I want

surely there must be a way to do this the windows explorer way - i would have thought macs would be better at this kind of stuff

I've looked in the view options and toolbar options etc, but cant seem to change it

any ideas?

ejectorset · Post by **ejectorset** » Fri May 18, 2007 2:00 am

there should be 3 view buttons (next to the back and forward arrows) at the top of any finder window.

1 has 4 squares, 1 has 4 horizontal lines and one has 3 colums.

sounds you want the view with the 4 horizontal lines.

then you expand your way through the folder hierarchy use the arrow buttons, they work like +/- buttons next to folders on windows.

rbmonosylabik · Post by **rbmonosylabik** » Fri May 18, 2007 2:48 am

Also, when dragging a file into a folder, the space bar opens the folder immediately.

Alexis Forge · Post by **Alexis Forge** » Fri May 18, 2007 3:20 am

thanks

yeah I've tried the 4 column view - but it's the left column I'm talking about - it's heaps easier the way windows explorer does it

funny thing is I was sure it used to work like that in my old pre-OSX macs

I'll see how I go with space bar

thanks

rbmonosylabik · Post by **rbmonosylabik** » Fri May 18, 2007 4:20 am

The left colum works different in OSX. It's more like an in-window Dock, you can add and remove stuff from it at will.

thelocalhost · Post by **thelocalhost** » Fri May 18, 2007 5:52 am

Install Quicksilver

http://quicksilver.blacktree.com/

It's very handy to open up folders, launching applications, opening files, etc...

Say you know you have a "Awesome Beats" folder somewhere in your Music or Documents folders (you need to set Quicksilver's catalog to search all commonly used directories, but don't go too crazy with this).

Just type ctl+spacebar

Then start typing 'awesome'

The name should be show after a few typed letters.

Now press enter.

It will open up the folder in Finder.

Similarly with launching apps, or opening files.

thelocalhost · Post by **thelocalhost** » Fri May 18, 2007 5:56 am

Alexis Forge wrote:thanks

yeah I've tried the 4 column view - but it's the left column I'm talking about - it's heaps easier the way windows explorer does it

These are just 'short cuts' or 'favorites. Drag commonly used folders in there for quicker access.

Also, you can set the preferences ('apple'+',') of the Finder to open in 'column view'. That might be better for you.

sparklepuff · Post by **sparklepuff** » Fri May 18, 2007 5:58 am

How is Quicksilver any different from the included Spotlight? Instead of hitting Apple + Spacebar you hit Control + Spacebar? Looking into it now...

mike holiday · Post by **mike holiday** » Fri May 18, 2007 6:17 am

i just open the destination in a new window then drag/drop the folder

seems to be about the same navigation time.

noisetonepause · Post by **noisetonepause** » Fri May 18, 2007 6:54 am

sparklepuff wrote:How is Quicksilver any different from the included Spotlight? Instead of hitting Apple + Spacebar you hit Control + Spacebar? Looking into it now...

Spotlight is just for searching. Quicksilver is basically a commandline...

steve-o · Post by **steve-o** » Fri May 18, 2007 7:22 am

thelocalhost wrote:Install Quicksilver

http://quicksilver.blacktree.com/

It's very handy to open up folders, launching applications, opening files, etc...

Say you know you have a "Awesome Beats" folder somewhere in your Music or Documents folders (you need to set Quicksilver's catalog to search all commonly used directories, but don't go too crazy with this).

Just type ctl+spacebar

Then start typing 'awesome'

The name should be show after a few typed letters.

Now press enter.

It will open up the folder in Finder.

Similarly with launching apps, or opening files.

+1 for Quicksilver.

thelocalhost · Post by **thelocalhost** » Fri May 18, 2007 7:26 am

noisetonepause wrote:
sparklepuff wrote:How is Quicksilver any different from the included Spotlight? Instead of hitting Apple + Spacebar you hit Control + Spacebar? Looking into it now...
Spotlight is just for searching. Quicksilver is basically a commandline...

I am not sure that is accurate.

Quicksilver is a smaller (and perhaps smarter) and quicker version of Spotlight.

Spotlight will search everything. Quicksilver is only searching your 'catalog'. So launching apps is instananeous. (i.e. type "ctl+spacebar", then type 's'. Safari immediately shows up) Do the same test in spotlight ('apple'+spacebar), it takes a little lag. It's still pretty quick, but not nearly as quick as QS.

thelocalhost · Post by **thelocalhost** » Fri May 18, 2007 7:28 am

sparklepuff wrote:How is Quicksilver any different from the included Spotlight? Instead of hitting Apple + Spacebar you hit Control + Spacebar? Looking into it now...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EBvFUhTqKK4

noisetonepause · Post by **noisetonepause** » Fri May 18, 2007 8:17 am

thelocalhost wrote:
noisetonepause wrote:
sparklepuff wrote:How is Quicksilver any different from the included Spotlight? Instead of hitting Apple + Spacebar you hit Control + Spacebar? Looking into it now...
Spotlight is just for searching. Quicksilver is basically a commandline...
I am not sure that is accurate.

Quicksilver is a smaller (and perhaps smarter) and quicker version of Spotlight.

Spotlight will search everything. Quicksilver is only searching your 'catalog'. So launching apps is instananeous. (i.e. type "ctl+spacebar", then type 's'. Safari immediately shows up) Do the same test in spotlight ('apple'+spacebar), it takes a little lag. It's still pretty quick, but not nearly as quick as QS.

Mate, I've been using it for years - since before Tiger and Spotlight. For a while I didn't even run the Finder, I just used QS. I know what it can do, and I'm not asking, I'm telling you: it's a commandline. Search is 10% of what it does.

snakedogman · Post by **snakedogman** » Fri May 18, 2007 8:39 am

the problem is: osx finder a bit crappy.

Although using the column view and navigating with arrow keys usually gets me where I want pretty quickly (but no you can't order files in any other way than alphabetically in this view, that's only for the list view ...

)