4 Easy OS X/Finder Questions!

1) How do you open a file with the keyboard? E.g. You already have it selected, what do you press to execute it? Pressing enter renames the file, I can't think of any other combinations!

2) Can you sort the files in a folder alphabetically, but with the folders first? I did find another thread with this, but the answer didn't sound too sure, and I would have thought this was a fairly common requirement?

3) Does anyone use the colo(u)r feature? What is it even useful for?

4) Same goes with the automator and folder actions. I have read some tutorials and things on it, but I can't find a use for it!

Sorry for the dumb questions, I am in the process of eliminating windows all together, and these things are driving me nuts! I have got most other things pretty down pat including heavy usage of quicksilver (which I absolutely love).

I also cannot use Photoshop Mac version! I have no idea why. Currently I am running Photoshop for windows in Parallels. Sounds dumb, but even the mouse movement in the mac version is different and harder to use.

Thanks for any answers! Appreciate it.

zurron said:

1) How do you open a file with the keyboard? E.g. You already have it selected, what do you press to execute it? Pressing enter renames the file, I can't think of any other combinations!

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CMD+O (for Open)

2) Can you sort the files in a folder alphabetically, but with the folders first? I did find another thread with this, but the answer didn't sound too sure, and I would have thought this was a fairly common requirement?

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Sorry I dunno. Never wanted to change things.

3) Does anyone use the colo(u)r feature? What is it even useful for?

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It's handy for marking files relating to different projects if you've got more than one thing going on (and don't have time to get everything in nicely nested folders), or to mark different stages of development (like Orange = sent to client, Green = Approved, Red = More work needed, Blue = Completed and ready to archive/delete). Just saves adding cryptic codes to the files name, and makes it quicker to work with.

4) Same goes with the automator and folder actions. I have read some tutorials and things on it, but I can't find a use for it!

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Don't worry about it now; it's not meant to fill a particular need (or there would be a stand alone app for it), but at some point you'll get to the stage where you want to do a series of things and you'll think "isn't there an easier way of doing this?". Maybe you have 700 ZIP files on a CD and you need them all unzipped... you're not gonna go through and do each one separately. Or you just come back off holiday with 120 photos and you want them all named something a little more helpful than DSC00579.JPG, added to iPhoto, tagged, and put in a "Vacation Photos" album, and email a set to your mates, or upload them to an FTP server. Automater to the rescue.

Folder actions are intended to improve your workflow; if you have a specific way of working, then sometimes they can speed things along.

I also cannot use Photoshop Mac version! I have no idea why. Currently I am running Photoshop for windows in Parallels. Sounds dumb, but even the mouse movement in the mac version is different and harder to use.

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Best way to get into OS X thinking is to try and cut Windows out of your life as much as possible for a few weeks. Once you start to understand it more, you'll enjoy it more, and won't feel you need to boot Windows to do tasks that can be done in OS X (ofcourse, it's always there in an emergency; but if you rely on it too much unnecessarily then you won't get to enjoy OS X, and a Mac seems like a wasted purchase).

Levi said:

Best way to get into OS X thinking is to try and cut Windows out of your life as much as possible for a few weeks. Once you start to understand it more, you'll enjoy it more, and won't feel you need to boot Windows to do tasks that can be done in OS X (ofcourse, it's always there in an emergency; but if you rely on it too much unnecessarily then you won't get to enjoy OS X, and a Mac seems like a wasted purchase).

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Amazing reply, thanks for that!

I have turned my XP desktop, into a linux (ubuntu) server, so that is out of the picture now. And I am trying to use my MBP as my full time computer, through an external monitor/kb/mouse. I am comfortable using OS X for pretty much everything, except for photoshop and web authoring. That is all that is holding me back! I'll stick at it, thanks again for the reply.

If anyone knows a hack or anything to put the folders first that would be ace. Obviously a windows feature, but it is common sense to me when you are trying to navigate down a list of folders.

zurron said:

I am comfortable using OS X for pretty much everything, except for photoshop and web authoring. That is all that is holding me back! I'll stick at it, thanks again for the reply.

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I think that's quite interesting as Macs dominate those markets. Sorry, nothing helpful in that, I just thought it ironic that the things you're having the most trouble with are things people recommend Macs for

Levi said:

I think that's quite interesting as Macs dominate those markets. Sorry, nothing helpful in that, I just thought it ironic that the things you're having the most trouble with are things people recommend Macs for

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Yeah I know! That is why it must be just another thing I have to get use to since I have been doing web development on XP for 7 or 8 years. I definitely can't use the wireless mouse (not so mighty one). It lags way too much for Photoshop. Has anyone been able to use it?? I just connect my old M$ mouse everytime I use my MBP now which works the same. And I think there is a very slight lag with the wireless keyboard too which is off putting when you are trying to code.

zurron said:

Yeah I know! That is why it must be just another thing I have to get use to since I have been doing web development on XP for 7 or 8 years. I definitely can't use the wireless mouse (not so mighty one). It lags way too much for Photoshop. Has anyone been able to use it?? I just connect my old M$ mouse everytime I use my MBP now which works the same. And I think there is a very slight lag with the wireless keyboard too which is off putting when you are trying to code.

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Apple has never had any praise for their Mice (the Mighty mouse should be good, and I bought one, but it's been nothing but trouble since). You can't go wrong with a Microsoft mouse (as much as I dislike their software; for a software company, they do put they're name on good hardware), but in my experience Logitech make the best mice.

As for keyboards, I've always been happy with Apple's offerings (although they get some complaint's for being to easy to brake... I don't know what those people are doing to them), but there are plenty out there to chose from.

As for wireless mice... do you know of any that work well and are accurate enough to use in photoshop? The apple wireless mouse is useless for this I feel. I saw a logitech mouse that used 2.4GHz bandwidth range, that is different to the bluetooth that apple mice use right? Is it any better? Or over that short range of 0.5m max, it makes no difference?

zurron said:

1)
2) Can you sort the files in a folder alphabetically, but with the folders first? I did find another thread with this, but the answer didn't sound too sure, and I would have thought this was a fairly common requirement?


Thanks for any answers! Appreciate it.

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Try finder view, show view options, keep arranged by.

Hope this helps.

zurron said:

As for wireless mice... do you know of any that work well and are accurate enough to use in photoshop? The apple wireless mouse is useless for this I feel. I saw a logitech mouse that used 2.4GHz bandwidth range, that is different to the bluetooth that apple mice use right? Is it any better? Or over that short range of 0.5m max, it makes no difference?

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I think the best mouse at the moment is the Logitec MX Revolution (review: Excerpt; "The mouse tracked flawlessly in my Photoshop test, detecting minute movements without losing its wireless connection"), but Logitech to some similar ones for cheaper, and I can't imagine them being significantly worse.