AppleInsider › Forums › Software › Mac OS X › Sources detail new features in Apple's first beta of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Sources detail new features in Apple's first beta of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion - Page 2

post #41 of 87
2/24/11 at 10:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbarriault View Post

Quit is still there (as is Force Quit, aka Unix kill) it just won't be necessary.

You're going to have to explain that one. Unless you have a ton of memory or like paging programs in and out of memory. Quitting is often the best way to free up memory from the larger applications, or apps like iphoto or firefox which seem to consume more and more memory the longer they're running.

And while auto-save, restore and what seems to be described as auto quit are nice - it doesn't help when you have some apps that take a long time to re-load after being quit...
Reply
Reply
post #42 of 87
2/24/11 at 11:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnmcboston View Post

Quitting is often the best way to free up memory from the larger applications, or apps like iphoto or firefox which seem to consume more and more memory the longer they're running.

While technically true, your statement is obsolete. With iOS "multitasking", Apple figured out an efficient way (i.e. low memory footprint) to suspend background apps that is indistinguishable from "still running" to the user. (Presumably apps that are actually busy "doing something", such as running a calculation or performing a user-requested task, wouldn't be thusly suspended until their task is complete.) If the user selects such an app, it rapidly comes back to life and fills the required memory space while other apps, now not in focus, become suspended. With very little actual RAM, my iPhone is currently "running" 35 apps. It doesn't matter that they aren't "running" in the same sense that "multitasking" used to imply. All that matters is they behave the same way when I return to them.

Apple has simply brought the same technique into Mac OS X.

Thompson
Reply
Reply
post #43 of 87
2/24/11 at 11:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by thompr View Post

Apple has simply brought the same technique into Mac OS X.

In a perfect world maybe - but it doesn't work well in iOS... There are times my phone is running so sluggish it takes 10 seconds for an app do open. But then I go into multitasking, quit all running programs, and lo and behold my phone is as speedy as ever. I've also had apps 'doing things' in the background (I'm not sure what), but I'll pull out the phone an hour later and the battery is almost dead (yes, there is one app that does this - not sure why).

So while the concept is nice, there are apps that don't behave well in the background and/or iOS isn't managing itself as well as it should such that 'not needing to quit apps' is a nice theory for iOS, but it has it's troubles.

Will 10.7 be able to do a better job of such things???
Reply
Reply
post #44 of 87
2/24/11 at 11:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnmcboston View Post

In a perfect world maybe - but it doesn't work well in iOS... There are times my phone is running so sluggish it takes 10 seconds for an app do open. But then I go into multitasking, quit all running programs, and lo and behold my phone is as speedy as ever. I've also had apps 'doing things' in the background (I'm not sure what), but I'll pull out the phone an hour later and the battery is almost dead (yes, there is one app that does this - not sure why).

So while the concept is nice, there are apps that don't behave well in the background and/or iOS isn't managing itself as well as it should such that 'not needing to quit apps' is a nice theory for iOS, but it has it's troubles.

Will 10.7 be able to do a better job of such things???

This shouldn't be the case. I do not have this issue. You must be running applications that specifically ask for the processor to FULLY run them in the background. I would try to figure out what these programs are.
Reply
Reply
post #45 of 87
2/24/11 at 11:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell View Post

I'm not sure how you want to see this ability in the user interface but Mail does have direct access to calendar and the address book. There is an address book icon at the top of any message window. There is a To Do button that creates new calendar events.

You can control click any name, date, or phone number and pull up a dialog window for address book and calendar.

Sure, Mail has underpinnings to the iCal and Contacts frameworks, but you cant use a SINGLE APP to control them all like you can in Outlook. This is one area that Outlook completely kills Mail.

To restate, I want a sidebar or icons to switch between Contacts and iCal views in Mail, not just the ability to add an iCal event from some parsed data in an email or add an email address to a message from my contacts.
Reply
Reply
post #46 of 87
2/24/11 at 11:21am
This sounds great to me! The OS handles all kinds of nonsense for you (iOS-style) so you can just to get to work. Meanwhile (not iOS-style) there’s tons of flexibility for developers to do things in different ways, old or new alike. And users too can keep using their Mac the same old ways—quitting apps and ignoring document versioning—if they don’t like to learn new tricks.

In short, Apple’s using iOS to make the Mac better, but not trying to make the Mac BE iOS. Touch devices are not conventional computers, and vice versa. I might have feared Apple would blur the distinction, or let OS X stagnate since iOS sells better. But they haven’t. I’m actually surprised such big changes are starting so soon, but I’m not complaining.

Long live the “trucks!”

EDIT: What is “$HOME”? Is that ~ or root? I was about to post that I like to poke around in both Libraries... but as I think about I realize I haven’t needed to do that in a long time! I guess that’s a factor of how far OS X has come. Still, I occasionally do obscure stuff like mess with game .inis. (Luckily, Finder can locate hidden files anyway. Find > File Visibility > Invisible Items.)

nagromme
Your Mac, PC or PS3 could help cure cancer!

Reply

nagromme
Your Mac, PC or PS3 could help cure cancer!

Reply
post #47 of 87
2/24/11 at 11:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ltcommander.data View Post

Macrumours is reporting that Lion will generously enabled OpenGL 3.2 on these new DX11 capable MacBook Pros. \

I'd be interested to know the minimum system requirements of Lion. Will it drop support for first-gen Core Duos and go 64-bit kernel only, which I'm kind of expecting? In such a case will Merom Core 2 Duos (late 2006/2007 era) models which don't currently support the 64-bit kernel in Snow Leopard still be supported? Otherwise, that's killing off a lot of the installed base.

I'd also be interested to see if Rosetta is still available as an optional install. Hopefully it is. There are a number of older games, primarily Starcraft, that would be a tragedy to lose. I'd hardly think Apple's recommended solution would be to Boot Camp Windows.

3.2???? WTF Apple, this is 2011, not 2008!

I want 4.1 support, and I want it now.

iPhone 4S 64GB, Black, soon to be sold in favor of a Nokia Lumia 920
Early 2010 MacBook Pro 2.4GHz, soon to be replaced with a Retina MacBook Pro, or an Asus U500

Reply

iPhone 4S 64GB, Black, soon to be sold in favor of a Nokia Lumia 920
Early 2010 MacBook Pro 2.4GHz, soon to be replaced with a Retina MacBook Pro, or an Asus U500

Reply
post #48 of 87
2/24/11 at 11:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnmcboston View Post

In a perfect world maybe - but it doesn't work well in iOS... There are times my phone is running so sluggish it takes 10 seconds for an app do open.

Really? I've never noticed that on my iPhone 4. I believe you though.


Quote:
Originally Posted by johnmcboston View Post

Will 10.7 be able to do a better job of such things???

Probably, given that the bigger machines that it runs on will have more resources available than an iPhone does. My hunch is that it will do just fine.

Thompson
Reply
Reply
post #49 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbarriault View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by AIaddict View Post

Application Persistence sounds like a nightmare not a feature! What happens when a piece of bad code goes crazy and you have no quit option and a reboot just opens it back up for you?

Quit is still there (as is Force Quit, aka Unix kill) it just won't be necessary.

And there's also safe boot.
Reply
Reply
post #50 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghostface147 View Post

Can I cut and paste files in Finder? I never understood why I can't do that. Unless I'm doing it wrong.

Cut and paste in Finder is called Move. Select your files and drag to new location with Command key pressed.
Reply
Reply
post #51 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post

Sure, Mail has underpinnings to the iCal and Contacts frameworks, but you cant use a SINGLE APP to control them all like you can in Outlook. This is one area that Outlook completely kills Mail.

To restate, I want a sidebar or icons to switch between Contacts and iCal views in Mail, not just the ability to add an iCal event from some parsed data in an email or add an email address to a message from my contacts.

Well, if you're going to switch views from Mail/Contacts/iCal, why not just switch apps?

One of the tenants of the Unix approach to software is small, single purpose applications which do one thing, and do it well. You're asking for a kitchen sink approach. Now i can see how you might perceive that as convenient, but the problem with bloatware is that after a while, it doesn't do anything well. Wouldn't it be just as good to have icons to open/switch-to Address Book or iCal? To my mind, that gives you the features you're asking for, without getting into bloatware.

Frankly, i've never really liked Mail.app. For one thing, it's always been buggy. And the UI has never really been stellar, in my opinion. Unfortunately, Jobs & Company decided to go with NeXT's mail application, not Claris eMailer, way back when. There has never been a better mail client on the Mac than Claris eMailer.

For those of you out there too young to remember, the lead developer of Claris eMailer went to work for M$ and created Outlook.
Reply
Reply
post #52 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by _Hawkeye_ View Post

Well, if you're going to switch views from Mail/Contacts/iCal, why not just switch apps?

Because I dont want to switch apps. I want to switch a panel view, nothing more, but still have the side panel available to see all these things and more. This is very efficient in comparison.
Reply
Reply
post #53 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:24pm
F$CK hidden Library and application persistence!

And for those advocating the latter, I switch context/application fairly (i.e. a whole lot) more on my MBP than on a phone.
Reply
Reply
post #54 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghostface147 View Post

Can I cut and paste files in Finder? I never understood why I can't do that. Unless I'm doing it wrong.

I don't understand what you're asking for? Do you want to append one file to another?

If so, one could write a shell script to do that, and either wrap it in a AppleScript app (i.e. you just drop the file icons onto the app icon), or use Automator to create a Finder service (i.e. access via a pop-up menu) to do that. Problem would be knowing which file to append to which, however. \
Reply
Reply
post #55 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by _Hawkeye_ View Post

I don't understand what you're asking for? Do you want to append one file to another?

If so, one could write a shell script to do that, and either wrap it in a AppleScript app (i.e. you just drop the file icons onto the app icon), or use Automator to create a Finder service (i.e. access via a pop-up menu) to do that. Problem would be knowing which file to append to which, however. \

Hes talking about simply cutting a file or folder and then pasting it in another place. All you can do with Mac OS X is copy that file, paste it in another location and then delete the original -or- emulate a cut and paste event with a drag-and-drop of the pointing device, but that isnt as fast as doing a cut and paste.
Reply
Reply
post #56 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nagromme View Post

What is $HOME? Is that ~ or root?

~

By the way, even if these folders become invisible in the Finder, one can still get to them by Go -> Go to Folder. I use that to get to hidden system folders all the time. Well, not all the time! Or one could create an alias to the folder. Or simply make the folder visible.
Reply
Reply
post #57 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by paxman View Post

Great Features! Applications Persistence sounds fantastic. It will take exactly one day to wonder why it was never thus before. I have always preferred the Windows way of quitting apps and this is basically it, only better.
Not so sure about apps preserving state. Often I find it annoying when I open Safari and several windows / tabs load. If I quit with many tabs going it's usually because I am done. I don't want them back again. It just means having to close windows before quitting. Which in terms of apps generally makes the experience more like Windows - the red button top left will see a usage spike ;-)

Application Persistence does sound fantastic. All the time saved between starting up and waiting for the application to load, look for the last file, etc.... great stuff.

Also, I'm intrigued with AirDrop. The current way to get to another computer's Drop Box can be inconsistent and annoying.

Proud AAPL stock owner.

 

GOA

Reply

Proud AAPL stock owner.

 

GOA

Reply
post #58 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post

Hes talking about simply cutting a file or folder and then pasting it in another place. All you can do with Mac OS X is copy that file, paste it in another location and then delete the original -or- emulate a cut and paste event with a drag-and-drop of the pointing device, but that isnt as fast as doing a cut and paste.

I've been using Mac since the very beginning and only recently discovered I could do this. What a time saver. Sometimes it pays to come late to the party.

Proud AAPL stock owner.

 

GOA

Reply

Proud AAPL stock owner.

 

GOA

Reply
post #59 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post

Because I dont want to switch apps. I want to switch a panel view, nothing more, but still have the side panel available to see all these things and more. This is very efficient in comparison.

Stupid. Just switch apps.
Reply
Reply
post #60 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post

I've been using Mac since the very beginning and only recently discovered I could do this. What a time saver. Sometimes it pays to come late to the party.

Which this are you referring? Copy and paste of a file/folder?
Reply
Reply
post #61 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post

Because I dont want to switch apps. I want to switch a panel view, nothing more, but still have the side panel available to see all these things and more. This is very efficient in comparison.

It seems like you're just real finicky in your preferences. There's not much difference in use between the two set ups. You're either clicking an calendar icon in Outlook or clicking the iCal icon in the doc. Is that really that different?

Personally, I like the Mac way because I can bypass switching altogether by having Mail, Address Book and iCal all open and showing on the screen at the same time with no overlap. This way there is pretty much NO switching between apps or views since I can see them all at the same time. Seems like the best solution to me. Even better, I have them designated to their own 'space' in OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. Try it out.
Reply
Reply
post #62 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pmz View Post

Stupid. Just switch apps.

Because MS has a more efficient way with Outlook it means that its stupid?
Reply
Reply
post #63 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by yensid98 View Post

It seems like you're just real finicky in your preferences. There's not much difference in use between the two set ups. You're either clicking an calendar icon in Outlook or clicking the iCal icon in the doc. Is that really that different?

Personally, I like the Mac way because I can bypass switching altogether by having Mail, Address Book and iCal all open and showing on the screen at the same time with no overlap. This way there is pretty much NO switching between apps or views since I can see them all at the same time. Seems like the best solution to me. Even better, I have them designated to their own 'space' in OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. Try it out.

Not at all. There is a huge difference in time and efficiency between these associated apps. And now I’m full screen and you think Command+Tab through dozens of open apps to do a simply task is faster than having the view within the same app?

Look, I’m asking for some crazy, but something proven to be effective and to be a front-end option to the backend they have already setup since day one. If you really feel these three apps aren’t interconnected then explain why Apple has interconnected them on the backend?
Reply
Reply
post #64 of 87
2/24/11 at 12:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post

Hes talking about simply cutting a file or folder and then pasting it in another place. All you can do with Mac OS X is copy that file, paste it in another location and then delete the original -or- emulate a cut and paste event with a drag-and-drop of the pointing device, but that isnt as fast as doing a cut and paste.

I still don't follow what you mean by the words "cutting" or "pasting" as they relate to files. Maybe that's bastardized M$ terminology from the world of Windows? I've been using computers since the mid 1970's. Not much has changed since then in regards to files and storage devices: You can either create, copy, move, or delete files.

Sounds like you're talking about either moving or copying operations. By default, the Finder will move a file, if the action is on the same logical device (e.g. HD). It will copy a file across devices, however, or onto the same device if you hold down the option key.

Now if what you want is to "move" a file across devices, that is to copy it from one device to another, and then delete the original, then that could certainly be done safely via the shell, or via Applescript/Automator. There might even be a modifier key to do that from the Finder, but if there is, i don't know what it is.
Reply
Reply
post #65 of 87
2/24/11 at 1:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post

Not at all. There is a huge difference in time and efficiency between these associated apps. And now Im full screen and you think Command+Tab through dozens of open apps to do a simply task is faster than having the view within the same app?

Look, Im asking for some crazy, but something proven to be effective and to be a front-end option to the backend they have already setup since day one. If you really feel these three apps arent interconnected then explain why Apple has interconnected them on the backend?

I just don't see a "huge difference in time and efficiency" between clicking an icon in a try or an icon in the Dock. it seems to be more a preference of yours. Good thing Outlook is available for the Mac eh?

And why are you bringing up full screen instead of considering the setup I recommended for OS X? Mail, Address Book and iCal can all be open and on the screen at the same time with no overlap so there is no need to Command+Tab, click or anything between them. Seems like "a huge difference in time and efficiency" to me.

To each their own.
Reply
Reply
post #66 of 87
2/24/11 at 1:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by _Hawkeye_ View Post

I still don't follow what you mean by the words "cutting" or "pasting" as they relate to files. Maybe that's bastardized M$ terminology from the world of Windows? I've been using computers since the mid 1970's. Not much has changed since then in regards to files and storage devices: You can either create, copy, move, or delete files.

Sounds like you're talking about either moving or copying operations. By default, the Finder will move a file, if the action is on the same logical device (e.g. HD). It will copy a file across devices, however, or onto the same device if you hold down the option key.

Now if what you want is to "move" a file across devices, that is to copy it from one device to another, and then delete the original, then that could certainly be done safely via the shell, or via Applescript/Automator. There might even be a modifier key to do that from the Finder, but if there is, i don't know what it is.

Cutting in a GUI-based system does exactly what one would expect it do. It COPIES the file to the clipboard and then DELETES the file from the location it previously resided. Its the same action you should be familiar with in text in pretty much every app since the 1970s. Its also the same as MOVE, but it doesnt specify where or if you are moving the file at that time. It CUTS it.
Reply
Reply
post #67 of 87
2/24/11 at 1:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post

Hes talking about simply cutting a file or folder and then pasting it in another place. All you can do with Mac OS X is copy that file, paste it in another location and then delete the original -or- emulate a cut and paste event with a drag-and-drop of the pointing device, but that isnt as fast as doing a cut and paste.

I just tried cut & paste in TotalFinder and it works! The files cut get ghosted, then when i paste they are copied. Wow, I never tried that before. Cool!

TotalFinder is the tabbed Finder app.
http://totalfinder.binaryage.com/
Reply
Reply
post #68 of 87
2/24/11 at 1:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post

Which this are you referring? Copy and paste of a file/folder?

Yep. Something so fundamental (and I guess has been used in Windows since forever)... color me embarrassed.

Proud AAPL stock owner.

 

GOA

Reply

Proud AAPL stock owner.

 

GOA

Reply
post #69 of 87
2/24/11 at 1:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post

Yep. Something so fundamental (and I guess has been used in Windows since forever)... color me embarrassed.

We only just got Put Back in Trash with Snow Leopard. This is pretty basic and useful. Its only a simple file that notes the previous location of an item moved to Trash so it can be put back automatically.
Reply
Reply
post #70 of 87
2/24/11 at 3:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by thompr View Post

It seems to me that your imagination is running in reverse. My hunch is that Apple is aiming for a future where we no longer need to worry ourselves with trivial things like where files and apps are actually stored on disk and/or which applications are running or documents are saved.
Thompson

Yes! I have started a discussion on the forums about this topic where people went into great detail to how this could be accomplished. Hopefully this will happen very soon!
Reply
Reply
post #71 of 87
2/24/11 at 4:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post

Cutting in a GUI-based system does exactly what one would expect it do. It COPIES the file to the clipboard and then DELETES the file from the location it previously resided. Its the same action you should be familiar with in text in pretty much every app since the 1970s. Its also the same as MOVE, but it doesnt specify where or if you are moving the file at that time. It CUTS it.

Actually, applying the terms "cut" and "paste" to files is pretty nonsensical and non-metaphorical. The traditional terms (e.g. "move" and "copy") make more sense, and are more metaphorical. Leave it to M$ to pervert the language and cause a lot of people to use Orwellian Newspeak.

So what happens if your Windows system crashes after you cut a file/folder, but before you paste it? You lose the file/folder?

Be that as it may, i do think the way Apple does it in the Finder makes more sense. Except i do criticize them for their inconsistency when crossing logical devices. If you drag an icon from one place to another, the file should be always be moved. Even across logical devices. If you want it copied, hold down the option key. That's a violation of Apple's own UI Guidelines.

By the way, GUI's didn't exist (except in the lab) in the 1970's. Apple's Lisa was the first commercially marketed computer to sport a GUI, followed a year or two later by Macintosh, in 1984.
Reply
Reply
post #72 of 87
2/24/11 at 4:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post

We only just got Put Back in Trash with Snow Leopard. This is pretty basic and useful. Its only a simple file that notes the previous location of an item moved to Trash so it can be put back automatically.

Well, it came back in SL. It was a part of Mac OS prior to Mac OS X. Twas just on vacation!
Reply
Reply
post #73 of 87
2/24/11 at 5:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post

Hes talking about simply cutting a file or folder and then pasting it in another place. All you can do with Mac OS X is copy that file, paste it in another location and then delete the original -or- emulate a cut and paste event with a drag-and-drop of the pointing device, but that isnt as fast as doing a cut and paste.

I drag and drop using spring loaded folders. That is faster for me than cut and paste.
iPad2 16 GB Wifi

Who is worse? A TROLL or a person that feeds & quotes a TROLL? You're both idiots.....
Reply
iPad2 16 GB Wifi

Who is worse? A TROLL or a person that feeds & quotes a TROLL? You're both idiots.....
Reply
post #74 of 87
2/24/11 at 6:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by _Hawkeye_ View Post

I still don't follow what you mean by the words "cutting" or "pasting" as they relate to files. Maybe that's bastardized M$ terminology from the world of Windows? I've been using computers since the mid 1970's. Not much has changed since then in regards to files and storage devices: You can either create, copy, move, or delete files.

Sounds like you're talking about either moving or copying operations. By default, the Finder will move a file, if the action is on the same logical device (e.g. HD). It will copy a file across devices, however, or onto the same device if you hold down the option key.

Now if what you want is to "move" a file across devices, that is to copy it from one device to another, and then delete the original, then that could certainly be done safely via the shell, or via Applescript/Automator. There might even be a modifier key to do that from the Finder, but if there is, i don't know what it is.

He wants the equivalent of moving a file without having to drag it (because presumably he doesn't want to have to have both source and destination folders open at the same time or rely on spring loaded folders.). And he doesn't want to use the shell or a script. In Windows, you can select the file and click "cut", then navigate at your leisure elsewhere and click "paste". Let me tell you, I am as big a Mac bigot as they come, but I am forced to use Windows at work. And I find this feature useful on occasion.

Thompson
Reply
Reply
post #75 of 87
2/24/11 at 7:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AIaddict View Post

Application Persistence sounds like a nightmare not a feature! What happens when a piece of bad code goes crazy and you have no quit option and a reboot just opens it back up for you?

From the article:

Quote:
Users can still choose to manually quit an application, but Apple has reportedly told developers that quitting is no longer necessary.
Reply
Reply
post #76 of 87
2/24/11 at 7:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by _Hawkeye_ View Post

~

By the way, even if these folders become invisible in the Finder, one can still get to them by Go -> Go to Folder. I use that to get to hidden system folders all the time. Well, not all the time! Or one could create an alias to the folder. Or simply make the folder visible.

Good alternatives to keep in mind.

As long as I can still do my obsessive fiddling with game settings etc., Im happy to have things simplified for everyone else

nagromme
Your Mac, PC or PS3 could help cure cancer!

Reply

nagromme
Your Mac, PC or PS3 could help cure cancer!

Reply
post #77 of 87
2/24/11 at 7:56pm
Meh.

I think Apple is running low on new ideas. I've seen nothing that would make me want to upgrade.
Reply
Reply
post #78 of 87
2/24/11 at 9:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by thompr View Post

He wants the equivalent of moving a file without having to drag it (because presumably he doesn't want to have to have both source and destination folders open at the same time or rely on spring loaded folders.). And he doesn't want to use the shell or a script. In Windows, you can select the file and click "cut", then navigate at your leisure elsewhere and click "paste". Let me tell you, I am as big a Mac bigot as they come, but I am forced to use Windows at work. And I find this feature useful on occasion.

I wrote myself a little Automator action, saved as a Finder Service, to do essentially this. I merely select any combination of files and folders, then invoke my Automator action (typically via a Services pop-up menu). That opens a standard Save dialog, which i use to navigate to where i want to move things. I also have the option to create new folders from the dialog. Sometimes i find this more convenient that using spring loaded folders, or having two Finder windows open, so i know what you mean. If it's a destination i use a lot, i simply create an alias in the Finder's sidebar; quicker still.

For what its worth: I've also created actions to rename files. This works especially well when you want to rename multiple files, and the changes can be made using a find & replace algorithm. I have other actions simply to remove underbars from filenames and normalize capitalization, two tasks i find myself doing somewhat often. Automator is a great tool, and very convenient when used as a Service.
Reply
Reply
post #79 of 87
2/25/11 at 3:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post

Sure, Mail has underpinnings to the iCal and Contacts frameworks, but you cant use a SINGLE APP to control them all like you can in Outlook. This is one area that Outlook completely kills Mail.

To restate, I want a sidebar or icons to switch between Contacts and iCal views in Mail, not just the ability to add an iCal event from some parsed data in an email or add an email address to a message from my contacts.

Yeah, as long as Outlook is running.
This crock of shit is the most pathetic piece of garbage I have had the misfortune to use (suffer), maybe apart from Communicator.
How come m$ can write garbage and sells it for obscene profits to the corporate world, and get away with it ? I have to use m$ crap at work, from a dell to windows and other m$ pile of turd.
So don't tell me how good outlook is okay.
Reply
Reply
post #80 of 87
2/25/11 at 3:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Extensor View Post

Cut and paste in Finder is called Move. Select your files and drag to new location with Command key pressed.

Fixed it for you.
Dragging the item to another location is a move (not a copy/paste) and does not require pressing any additional keys.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Mac OS X
AppleInsider › Forums › Software › Mac OS X › Sources detail new features in Apple's first beta of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion