Things I dislike about OS X

Generally I'm really like my new mac. But there are things that annoy the crap out of me. I figured I would share them in hopes that maybe someone has a solution for me or as somethign others can look out for if they are planning to switch.

1. Dragging and dropping. In windows Xp if you have a window open and need to drag a file to another window that currently isn't visable but open, you can just drag it to the new windows icon in the taskbar and the new window will spring open allowing you to then finish your drag and drop. In OSX, it seems you have to have both windows visible and in play in order to drag from one to the other. You can't drag through the dock the way you can through the Xp taskbar. This gets very annoying.

2. The menubar. I know this is a classic mac thing and ideally it should work but it doesn't always work. Especially when working on dual monitors. For an example you are chatting with someone using Adium and also browsing
in Firefox. You go to the menu bar expecting to add a bookmark or something only to find the menubar is displaying options for Adium and you have to go all the way back and click on the firefox window to get the menubar to switch to firefox. I can't tell you how many times on a daily basis I run into this. I understand the concept of keeping things clean but it's just not really efficient like how windows does it where each window has it's own menubar. You don't need to constantly go to the top of the screen or another screen to get to those options, just the top of that window.

3. In the finder it lists all the files and folders in alphabetical order. This is nice, but what if I want all my folders to appear up top then all my loose files underneath. There is no option for this. There also doesn't seem to be any way to add more options like "kind" or "type" or "file size" or anything like that they way you can in iTunes or XP.

4. The finder tells you how much hard drive space is remaining, but not how much there is total. Sometimes I forget this and it would be nice to know. it would also be nice if it would tell me how much space my files in a particular folder are taking up.

There are other things I run into, but I can't seem to remember off the top of my head. Any issues you other switchers are running into?

I guess I should be fair and start a thread about things I like in OS X.

Ihave a few on the list as well:
1 Should be able to highlight a folder and right click to make a new folder that is a SUB folder to the folder that is highlighted (does that make sense?) does to me I guess that is a problem.

2> Mouse action is just not as smooth as in windows. Sound swierd but I have messed with 4 macs now, theone that I own included and Windows just has a better mouse algorithm for moving fast and then slowing up when you reach your destination. i have found Logitech mice better than Apples by the way to get over this but still not up to Windows.

3> Back to number 1 from above- even highlighting the folder and clicking new folder from the File menu will put the file by itself and not a subfolder to the highlighted one.

4> Why cant I have a choice to send email when I right click on a file? Should be a no brainer.

5> While I am at it when Apple gets around to makeing the right cloick button more useful they should allow us to CHOOSE what we want in the right click menu. Not a complain more of a suggestion.

Thats about it will come up with more as I use it but i think Apple needs to "cherry" pick some of the Windows niceties and it will truly be the best OS at that point

For mouse action, if it irritates you download and install steermouse. You will be able to get the windows mouse action you desire.

Steermouse is alright but it doesn't seem to do anything about the trackpad on macbooks. I agree with the other poster the fast and slow down in OSX isn't as nice as Windows. Then again I think my trackpad is messed up, I have it at top speed as was playing with a brand new macbook in the store today that was not at top speed and it moved faster and better. But I'm also on tiger and not leopard if they made any improvements there.

Let me have a go at a couple of these.

ApplePi said:

1. Dragging and dropping. In windows Xp if you have a window open and need to drag a file to another window that currently isn't visable but open, you can just drag it to the new windows icon in the taskbar and the new window will spring open allowing you to then finish your drag and drop. In OSX, it seems you have to have both windows visible and in play in order to drag from one to the other. You can't drag through the dock the way you can through the Xp taskbar. This gets very annoying.

Click to expand...

Click & drag, hover over the dock icon (this can be an application or folder) and press space bar to open the that app or folder, then you can drop the file.

ApplePi said:

3. In the finder it lists all the files and folders in alphabetical order. This is nice, but what if I want all my folders to appear up top then all my loose files underneath. There is no option for this. There also doesn't seem to be any way to add more options like "kind" or "type" or "file size" or anything like that they way you can in iTunes or XP.

Click to expand...

I'm with you on this, Finder is a little inflexible and lacking in options. I put up with it now but if you want a more Windows Explorer style thing try:
Mac Explorer
Pathfinder

ApplePi said:

4. The finder tells you how much hard drive space is remaining, but not how much there is total. Sometimes I forget this and it would be nice to know. it would also be nice if it would tell me how much space my files in a particular folder are taking up.

Click to expand...

iSlayer have free widgets, menu bar apps and standalone apps that include this info. There are also several dashboard widgets that do this.
For an in depth look at what's using HD space try Disk Inventory

ApplePi said:

1. Dragging and dropping. In windows Xp if you have a window open and need to drag a file to another window that currently isn't visable but open, you can just drag it to the new windows icon in the taskbar and the new window will spring open allowing you to then finish your drag and drop. In OSX, it seems you have to have both windows visible and in play in order to drag from one to the other. You can't drag through the dock the way you can through the Xp taskbar. This gets very annoying.

Click to expand...

Sure you can. In Finders prefs enable Spring Loaded Folders. When you want to move a document or file, simply drag it over a folder (or the Docks Finder icon) and wait for the folder or Finder Window to open. You can move through nested folders fairly quickly this way without having to find the ultimate destination first.

The rest of your issues are more or less purely subjective and based on how you have your Mac setup. I don't use 2 monitors so I don't have an issue with the task bar. I do agree with #3

Z4MC said:

5> While I am at it when Apple gets around to makeing the right cloick button more useful they should allow us to CHOOSE what we want in the right click menu. Not a complain more of a suggestion.

Click to expand...

Haxies like Fruit Menu will allow you to add things to that menu. There are other apps out there that will do it as well. I've never had a problem with your #2, but then again I am using an MS Trackball mouse and is smooth as silk to be honest.

ApplePi said:

Steermouse is alright but it doesn't seem to do anything about the trackpad on macbooks. I agree with the other poster the fast and slow down in OSX isn't as nice as Windows. Then again I think my trackpad is messed up, I have it at top speed as was playing with a brand new macbook in the store today that was not at top speed and it moved faster and better. But I'm also on tiger and not leopard if they made any improvements there.

Click to expand...

Not really. I have a G4 iBook running Leopard and the track pad still sucks, it always has. I'm not a fan of track pads, even on my Windows laptop.

For #4 you can open finder (or just click on the desktop), Click View, Show View Options, Check Show Item Info.

Then you can have the used space and total space underneath the mounted drives on the desktop.

Well since other's have pretty much shot down all the things some of you didn't like for lack of knowledge or otherwise, there is nothing I can add ( to the list ).

Correct me if I'm wrong...
But when you're in finder, if you highlight everything, select View, Arrange By, Kind, that works.

EDIT: It only works in thumbnail view.