Windows Explorer for Mac OS X

[RChickenMan]

Konqueror has an up button that works when browsing the internet as well. So, say I were viewing this exact page, regardless of what page I was viewing previously, if I hit the up button, it would take me to the switcher hangout forum. Very convinient.

 

[dtravis7]

Hmm, have to try that. Thanks for the heads up.

The only machine I have tried it on and noticed the difference is my iMac G5 isight. Will try on a few other macs and see if I see a difference. It was quite noticable on the G5 iMac. It used to sit there and spin the beach ball for ever when a Share went away.

Edit, I just checked on my iMac G5 and G4 Digital Audio. Both have Tiger. I went to shares that I took off line. It was seconds. It used to take sometimes on the DA and Sawtooth minutes!!

Windows XP if the share goes away sometimes looks like it's locked. It will come out of it, but it takes probably longer than OSX used to here.

 

[RChickenMan]

Whenever I try to do anything involving the network in windows explorer, I basically count on it freezing at some point. When you have problems with windows explorer, there is a 50% chance you're going to have to restart the whole OS.

 

[avcabob]

you can also hit cmd + up arrow

That's even better. I'm all for keyboard shortcuts. Thanks

 

[Avalon]

Whenever I try to do anything involving the network in windows explorer, I basically count on it freezing at some point. When you have problems with windows explorer, there is a 50% chance you're going to have to restart the whole OS.

Actually you can open the Task manager, kill the explorer.exe task, and start it again. No need to restart the whole OS.

 

[RChickenMan]

I am aware of that possibility. That's the other 50%...

 

[Erudite.Warrior]

Finder Improvements

1. Path display. I know there is a path function but I would like the path displayed all of the time. Also, the ability to type into the path.

2. Ability to sort alphabetically while keeping subfolders on top.

 

[puaerotch]

Ability to sort alphabetically while keeping subfolders on top.

That is one thing I like about win explorer over finder: subfolders are always at the top, no matter how things are sorted.

 

[karudzo]

My one *big* complaint is that Finder cannot exit a network gracefully. If it loses the network (wirelessly anyways) Finder totally locks up and a force relaunch is necessary.

I've never had this problem. Finder just gives a message regarding "connection lost (for instance if I disconnected the cable with a mounted network share)". No crash at all. 10.4.7 MBP.

 

[D3v1L80Y]

2. Ability to sort alphabetically while keeping subfolders on top.

yeah, that would be nice
:black:

 

[baggss]

So far all I'm seeing is "I'd like to see this little change" or they "should add that" but nothing earth-shattering. There was just a thread where someone called the finder "stupid", but other folks seemed to think it had major flaws and need a BIG overhaul. I'm not seeing that in this thread.

 

[PowerBookG4]

Yeah finder is not that bad, its not bad at all actually, a few things here and there and I will admitt it would be a little nicer to use but still not bad. The big problem with finder is that it is the old way of doing things. Its the same structure as the computers we all used when we were kids... although they are starting to move forward and move into the new way of thinking by adding spotlight to the os and smart folders, but eventually adding small things like that are not going to make it move into the future very fast, what finder needs I guess is a little bigger of a make over to get it to where it should be for this time period we are in. I am not saying its bad, or behind, infact finder is leaps and bounds ahead of windows and some versions of linux, but I would like to see a overhaul of the finder in sometime before 10.7 or 10.8 and in the next few years.

 

[baggss]

What would you like to see in that overhaul? How would you change it if you had the chance? I keep hearing this stuff but not many people know what that would overhaul and change, I'm trying to figure out what that is. Smart folders and spotlight are a start, but the sort of meta-tag data they could be used to look for doesn't really exist in most documents or pictures outside of a business environment. Adding that data in would be a big undertaking for most folks. If you move to a Smart folder or spotlight ideal, then Finder as an App goes away.

 

[dtravis7]

Baggss, of all the things mentioned here, I think the thing I would like the most is the Folders all first in a listing and not mixed with the files. In other words All Folders first in alphabetical order then the files in Alphabetical order. Someone else brought that one up. I think most of it is using Windows so long and having it that way, but I still think that would a better way. Otherwise finder does not bother me at all. I liked it since OS 6.01 till now. Sure you can improve a few things I am sure, but overall it works for me and very well. I can go back and forth easily from Windows to OSX but can't wait to be back in OSX if you know what I mean.!!!! OSX feels like Home to me. I have used Windows longer than Mac OS of any kind so it's not just that I am some Mac person who never even used windows. I used Windows 2.0 then from 3.0 on.

Edit, PBG4 has a good one, Spotlight working on Network Shares! Could save me some time once in a while.

 

[PowerBookG4]

If you move to a Smart folder or spotlight ideal, then Finder as an App goes away.

I think thats pretty much what I want as a start, I think I would like increased network support and spotlight to work over the network. I would also like ot see some changes in the way finder works as a whole, tabed windows, the ability to use path easier (it on the screen at all times) spring loaded folders need a little bit of work I think it could work a little better. I would like to start seeing a different way of thinking in terms of folder organization (smart folders and spotlight as I said are a good start). I just think I want apple to be a more creative and to look to the linux community for inspiration. Like stated in another thread, I would also like to see them possibly fix the way we launch applications but keep the dock in there in some way, not take that away but to fix it a little, its a little bit of an old idea. I guess maybe I don't want them to start from scratch, but I would like alot of work done on it. I don't really know what I want I guess, I just feel like its a little behind the times for what we should be at for how long computers have been around.

 

[IronMac]

1. Path display. I know there is a path function but I would like the path displayed all of the time. Also, the ability to type into the path.

2. Ability to sort alphabetically while keeping subfolders on top.

1. It would be nice to have the option to display the path constantly. But you can already type the path. Go>Go to Folder. Cmd+Shift+G, Happy typing.

2. I totally agree here there should be more view options. I would like to see some meta data displayed without need of the get info commmand, just more column options. Version, artist, size(resolution) etc... Oh and to be able to sort the column view would be sweet.

 

[Avalon]

So far all I'm seeing is "I'd like to see this little change" or they "should add that" but nothing earth-shattering.

Well, AFAIK nobody said the Finder must be completely redone....it's just some little bits that need improvement.
Personnally, I think the biggest Finder issues are it's slowlyness when it comes to networking...taking ages and nearly totally blocking for minutes when connection is suddenly lost (issue has been removed finally with 10.4.7) and slow refreshes. And I think it would be nice to be able to type the path in a Finder window, instead of going to Go->Go to folder... and then type. At least, having this as a customize possibility, as most people probably don't need this feature. But for administrators and powerusers, it makes things sometimes easier to type rather than search through folders graphically.

In general, I'm pretty happy with Finder, though from a usage point-of-view, never really had a problem with Explorer (except that it is THE Windows programm that hangs up itself the most).