Road to Mac OS X Leopard: Finder 10.5 - Page 2

I use tabs on other apps all the time, but what Finder can do as-is is more or less good enough for me, and is better in some ways. I add folders to the list in the lower right pane of the finder Window. The biggest problem for me is that Finder doesn't always remember where I was last time I was in a given folder, but usually finder doesn't forget those links either. Most other tabbed programs that I use forget the tabs whenever the program is quit or the window is closed.

Neither Leopard nor Vista are the first to dynamically generate icons. Tiger will do it, too, if you tell it to. Just click the "Show icon preview" checkbox in the View Options window (while viewing a Finder window in "Icon View" mode) and it will dynamically (i.e., without permanent storage) generate and display the icon for nearly every single file -- even on the Desktop. Leopard may generate icons for a greater variety of file types, but Tiger will do so for nearly all image types and even PDF documents.

Now, that's an excellent idea. There are several apps that currently operate that way, most with a 3-pane viewa column view (usually down the left side) for navigation, a list view (usually at the top), and an actually viewing space (typically located at the bottom).

On another topic, the grinning Finder face has been around since at least OS 8. It's simple and has always given me that warm fuzzy feeling, so much so that I've used it as wallpaper on every cell phone that's allowed it. It actually says something about the Mac that's intangible and certainly something that Apple should keep. I still miss the old Picasso Mac below the "Welcome to Macintosh," but this one says it in a way no ther icon can.

I like the finder icon. I wish I could remove it from the dock, but I still like it.

-=|Mgkwho

Whether it was Apple's intention or just a happy (and significant) supervention, the limitations of the hardware and expandability forced the Mac programming community in the direction that resulted in the hallmark Macintosh user experience consistency.

The early 80s were a VERY different time for software developers. First of all, there weren't really individual "developers". There weren't many "software engineers". There WERE a lot of "programmers". This may sound like a rhetorical distinction, but it's not. In today's parlance, a programmer writes code. An engineer happily uses worthwhile frameworks instead of reinventing and a developer (e.g., Dan Schimpf of MacJournal.app fame) is an engineer who also helms a product in multiple aspects.

When Apple introduced a toolbox, it was a new idea for the mainstream. I even remember someone in the *LATE* 80s who insisted on writing his own mouse drivers for his DOS machine, even though the mouse *shipped* with them and whatever graphical apps that existed for DOS machines mostly just worked. Why would he do this? Because "real programmers write their own code".

In the early 80s, I remember this being a much more prevalent attitude. But programming a machine that had only 128K of RAM, you literally didn't have room for your own window library, mouse library, text library, drawing library, etc. Even Apple had to work some magic to make things work with the memory available (any of you remember Handle's?).

But there WAS 64K of library routines in ROMs. All the original "Managers" were in those ROMs and those who would write Mac applications were forced to rely on those to make usable applications. That constraint, along with the User Interface Guidelines book, are exactly why Macintosh apps from the very beginning, with very few exceptions, were so consistent in look and in feel. Compare MacWrite, MacPaint, MacDraw and even Excel and Word (for Mac) in 1985-6 with Lotus 1-2-3's text menuing (modal) and WordPerfect's endlessly nested modal "screens" that were activated by overloaded F-Keys and WordStar's screen-real-estate-hogging guides and you know what I'm getting at.

Off-topic, but it'd be well-remembered that the initial limitations of a new platform can be a best friend to a longer-term upside (ahem, iPhone, ahem).

I'd love to see this. I have Mac logins on about 6 machines... I use IMAP for email, & .Mac syncing. I simply setup my account, change my background, and sync to .Mac. My calendars, addressbook, safari bookmarks all replicate across. And I use my iDisk for frequently accessed files.

We know that Leopard syncs more settings than Tiger does... so the background will copy across (I could use a custom background ) and the dock also syncs ... but I don't know what else.

If I could login and have it copy/sync applications across automatically (like Firefox, Cyberduck, Adium, etc) that'd be great (even better if Word etc would work). If it could remotely access my music, photos, and documents from home I'd love it - especially if I didn't even realise they weren't local documents (ie: they look like they're in my local documents folder, just a little slower to open).

If I could set my work Mac to replicate ENTIRELY my home Mac, then I'd have my ideal backup. (oh, and I don't really care whether its via .Mac or via "back to my Mac" or the iHome iPod disk replication rumour from way back.)

Has anyone ever experienced the bug whereby... you change the extension name of a file... you get a dialog asking if you are sure you want to change the extension from .jpeg to .jpg (or whatever)... you say "yes"... and then the keyboard completely stops working. The only way to get it back is to use the mouse to logout and log back in. This is STILL present in the latest version of 10.4. I've reported it to Apple more than once... and it's never been fixed. I've observed this issue on my Macs at home AND at work... and with wired AND bluetooth keyboards... so I don't think it's just me.

Anyway... I trust that this highly annoying issue will finally be fixed?!?!?!

Ouch! Never had that problem here... Intel Mac problem?

Yah I can see that, but I think apple COULD perfect it. PathFinder seems to do it pretty decently. But I refuse to have a 3rd party program for my file browsing.

Nope. I've had it happen on my 1.8 GHz iMac G5 at home and my Dual 1.8GHz PowerMac G5 at work. It's nasty. As a web designer... I do sometimes have a need to mess with filename extensions. Or another case is when I get a file with two extensions (myDrawing.ai.pdf) or whatever. It's SOOOOOOO annoying. I can't believe it's never been fixed. At first I thought it was something to do with my Bluetooth keyboard... but again... I've seen this on multiple Macs and multiple keyboards. I'd be interested to know if anyone can reproduce it?

The happy face defines the Mac. Period. I would hate to see it disappear.

AppleInsider, what do you suggest they replace it with?

It would be nice if people actually read the threads before they posted these questions. I posted a link to Filepath in a message right above yours, but here it is again. Install this and right click on the folder/file to copy the complete file path to the clipboard. I think that this is the best option of all of the ones already suggested. Hope you like it.

The Dynamic file preview sounds nifty but I think I'd prefer for some views to just have default icons, so I can tell what KIND of files they are by icon (the whole purpose of icons). Please tell me there is a pref to turn this off, set it only for a certain window, or somehow kill the process that does that.
thanks, Chris

Yeah Happy Mac Face IS the face of Mac. I'd like to see the "Happy Classic Mac" icon right upon startup too, instead of the boring apple logo.

I've never had this issue, so I couldn't say if it was fixed in Leopard...

But what I can tell you is that in Leopard's Finder preferences, you can disable that annoying dialog all together! So you'll be able to change extensions without being interrupted!

So even if that bug was still present, disabling the dialog will get around it. And if you change extensions often like me, you'll turn it off anyway.

I've done this (changed extensions and gotten the dialog box and always said yes) with nary a problem. Never changed jpeg to jpg but change mov to avi or avi to mpg or xlt to xls, etc. Sorry. Intel macbook pro 10.4.x, all x.

after playing with leo a bit I noticed that the "Open with >" command is no there every time with contextual menus. That is a pain as I often need that. Also, coverflow files lack a contextual menu option.

some of the interaction of coverflow does not feel that natural to me yet. its pretty but not quite there in my book.

That's strange, I use G5's and never ran into such a problem. Do you have a 3rd party system app that might be causing the problem? Most G5s have their unique personalities, it must be something with the processor, but nothing that major.

Leopard's Cover Flow may work for html pages but it is not likely to be very helpful for modern web pages which are full of server side include files, linked style sheets and javascript. I don't know of anything short of actually serving the page that will render them into a graphical representation.

I haven't used the betas yet but I find it hard to believe it will be able to show thumbnails of inDesign and Quark although it would be very cool if it could preview the major DTP formats. Have to wait and see.

Wondering: Will the new Finder feature a cut/paste function for files (something like the one in Windows)?
Moving files without using the mouse, for example, would be alot easier that way.

Forget about fancy features. Can you finally sort the files by all criteria? Do those remember these settings???

I'm really glad that they unified the spotlight search window into the finder. It annoyed me to no end that the spotlight search window lived in it's own 'world' that was only accessible via expose. I guess this is a recent development as there was still a search window in build 9a377a.

http://thinksecret.com/archives/leop...source/35.html

Then again... it does look similar to the 'refreshed' finder windows.

No way. That's one of the new features in Leopardpreview of PDF documents not only when in column view and selecting each one, but also in "normal" icon view. PDF documents does not preview like that in Tiger.

I know exactly what you mean. One doesn't have to log out however. Just go to Apple menu > Force Quit, select "Finder" and then click "Relaunch".

Hopefully this won't happen in Leopard.

Great post Appleinsider, this is A-1 quality content, thanks again!

-Thunk Different.

So if the new finder still based in Carbon?

Don't worry, you are not going to be carbonised.

Carbon or Cocoa, it matters not if it is well done and gets the job done. The programming interface may be helpful but is not going to save you from design decisions and mistakes.

Good question. I'm curious too.

You're right about column-mode only view of PDF previews, of course. My error.

My larger point, though, was that the statement "Leopard now generates dynamic icon previews for files ..., similar to Windows Vista" made it seem as though Tiger never generated any icon previews dynamically, with the added implication that Leopard was following Vista's lead. That wouldn't be right, either.

Hey, thats already there: right click (or Control Click) and select Copy - easy! You can activate a Cut function by using a Utility called Onyx (it has lots of other functions, too). I am sure there are others.

When in column view and I enlarge a particular column so I can see the full file names, does this column STAY this wide the next time I go back to it?

I suspect not. And it's my #1 annoyance in the Finder today.

When I set Finder prefs to open new windows in column view, then reboot, then open a Finder window, does it STILL insist on opening the window in icon view or does it honor my preference?

I suspect it is still in icon view. This is my #2 annoyance in today's Finder.

No, but one cool trick is to hold down the Option key while resizing a single column to resize them all at the same time.

Think of it as a consolation prize.

Pleassssssseeee get rid of those old, outdated and ugly aqua gel buttons and scrollbars! I've hated those since they came out. Switch to what the iTunes Store uses please!

Nope, I get Column View in Leopard with every window as I've set it up. They fixed that too.


PS: Does anyone actually use Labels?

That does seem to be the last reminisce of Aqua-esque features in 10.5.

I like the gel buttons. Every other OS has worse buttons.

Oh yeah ! I juggle with hundreds of files every day, and couldn't live without them. That's why I would love a wider choice in label colors. Custom label colors, that is. With the color picker. Would be great, but I doubt it will be in Leopard.

Hi!
Sorry for being picky, but you wrote that "By the late 90s, Apple renamed the latest version of System 7 to Mac OS 7.6, and then released successive versions under the names Mac OS 8 and Mac OS 9." I clearly remember my old Macintosh LC 630 running Mac Os 7.5 . Am I wrong?
Congratulations on the article, it's really interesting!!

You are correct btw... I ran it... along with 7.5.3, 7.5.5, etc

As far as I can see It's not there?
The idea was to NOT have to use the mouse (click) at all, but CUT and PASTE with the keyboard only (move files).

I have Onyx and have looked through the settings but can not seem to find the setting you are talking about?