Mac OS X Flaws

[PeterCH]

Of course it does, which is why it indexes every file.

Windows Desktop Search also indexes every file, or at least every document.
It beats that service.

 

[VertigoZA]

lol..

I wrote about 5 pages worth of rebuttal on this list... then saw it wasn't written by AquaLung, so that took the wind out my sails a bit... I then read the full article and was going to continue when I saw the last line of the post which read, "If you can't do it in OSX, then you probably don't need to do it."

This is actually so damn true, esp when you take into consideration the type of people the OSX was designed for, hell even the type of people the GUI was invented for.

99% of those complaints are PowerUser issues, and are the very reason I ditched windows and got a mac in the first place.. I wanted to simplify my life. I don't want to be able run the entire OS with only a keyboard? I like using a mouse... there I said it.

PS spotlight is awesome. Quicksilver has too many options for me (though I can see it would be awesome for productivity if used correctly). Spotlight is fine for me, its simple.. finding a file. launching an app that's not on the dock.

 

[syntax]

Windows Desktop Search also indexes every file, or at least every document.
It beats that service.

I am not impressed with windows desktop search.....i dont see how u can say it beats spotlight?

I am using outlook right now, and trying to search for something in my mailbox is a headache, spotlight nails it.
Having said that, i have seen spotlight fall apart, and no matter if u re-index etc it still falls over...

As for the gripes....i am pretty sure if u made a list of gripes for windows it would be fairly large... ( i really dont want this to be another win vs mac debate though...)

 

[PeterCH]

I am not impressed with windows desktop search.....i dont see how u can say it beats spotlight?

I said just the opposite. Read whole thread next time .

 

[syntax]

I said just the opposite. Read whole thread next time .

Probably guilty as charged (still have not read it.... )

 

[adsl3g]

Each to his own, folks. I am an ex-windows user (in my private capacity, I'm still forced to use windows as I develop software for a living...), and got used to OS X's "quirks" very easily. BUT, (and, you'll notice, it is a BIG BUT ), it has things like iLife, and the built-in spell checker, no matter which software package you are using...

The only thing I really miss is a TotalCommander (www.ghisler.com) equivalent, which, incidentally, is based on the good old Norton Commander for DOS. But wait, that reveals my age, darnit...

Anyway, as a "mature" user, I am just no longer interested in wrestling with an OS to get things done and/or working. Leopard does it for me in a big way. Now, where the %&*(# is Snow Leopard already !?

You can also try muCommander

www.mucommander.com

its free too

 

[bonobo_slr]

Most of all these complaints I overcome by using cli. Mass renaming, filesize calculation etc... quicksilver instead of spotlight..

 

[d0b33]

XFolders is a great shell which allows you to work with folders and files in the same way as the old Norton Commander. It's freeware.
http://www.kai-heitkamp.com/

I totally missed this... thanks but I can only view my home partition in the left pane the right pane just shows the system partition.

 

[woolly_mammoth]

to see the combined size of multiple files just select them all and then instead of command-i use commad-option-i and you should get it sorted...

 

[Shardie]

"If you can't do it in OSX, then you probably don't need to do it." - case closed

 

[assagai]

i work with masses of audio files and the finder can't even sort search results by file size.. I've found 3rd party alternatives that do the job but the finder is way overdue for an upgrade. It also drives me nuts that you cant copy/paste/move from inside open/save dialogues - again, 3rd party addons to the rescue.
Also, no file metadata in the finder view, another pain in the butt that seems like such an easy thing to integrate into the os. I've got things set up and running the way i like now - i just hope apple addresses the finder in snow leopard.

My top handy utilities for improving osx file operations - file buddy, default folder, quicksilver and the ever-handy windowshade x.

 

[BobJones]

i work with masses of audio files and the finder can't even sort search results by file size.. I've found 3rd party alternatives that do the job but the finder is way overdue for an upgrade.

Have you tried turning on 'show search criteria' and restricting by size or last modified date?
'Show item info' in view options also persists into search result lists.
You can also set the default sort by size in column or icon view.
You can also try folder actions for this or a simple automator action using the 'sort finder items' action after a search action and reveal finder items action?

It also drives me nuts that you cant copy/paste/move from inside open/save dialogues - again, 3rd party addons to the rescue.

Maybe that is because it is the open/save dialogue?

Also, no file metadata in the finder view, another pain in the butt that seems like such an easy thing to integrate into the os. I've got things set up and running the way i like now - i just hope apple addresses the finder in snow leopard.

Get info is readily available and some metadata is available in column view via view options.

My top handy utilities for improving osx file operations - file buddy, default folder, quicksilver and the ever-handy windowshade x.

I've never had to use these, but everyone knows that Bwana is a quicksilver junkie.

 

[assagai]

Have you tried turning on 'show search criteria' and restricting by size or last modified date?
'Show item info' in view options also persists into search result lists.
You can also set the default sort by size in column or icon view.
You can also try folder actions for this or a simple automator action using the 'sort finder items' action after a search action and reveal finder items action?

Maybe that is because it is the open/save dialogue?

Get info is readily available and some metadata is available in column view via view options.

I've never had to use these, but everyone knows that Bwana is a quicksilver junkie.

i haven't found a way to sort by size in the finder results, if i'm searching 5000 files i don't want to have to hit apple-i to get the info, i want it all readily available in finder results. You can't show much metadata, like duration, artist name, etc in audio files in general, never mind in the search results. You can search for file sizes within certain criteria but i want to search a large batch of files and then just sort them from biggest to smallest, not within any range, so the size criteria is not helpful in this instance. You can set size as a column view in a finder window, but not in search results.. unless i'm missing something...tried opening view options for the search window but there are no options. (you only have name, kind and last opened) I tried toggling 'show item info' which clutters the desktop and does not persist in search results What i just don't get is that the finder is obviously able to read metadata because of the huge array of search criteria, what is beyond me is why you can't display that metadata in a column view for easy sorting.

as for the open/save dialogue thing - i just got used to being able to do any kind of file task from within these dialogues in windows xp, it's very very handy and osx can't do it - i know there are workarounds - it's just been difficult getting used to not having it. There are many benefits to osx, but the finder is not one of them.

 

[BobJones]

i haven't found a way to sort by size in the finder results, if i'm searching 5000 files i don't want to have to hit apple-i to get the info, i want it all readily available in finder results. You can't show much metadata, like duration, artist name, etc in audio files in general, never mind in the search results.

So you want to manage thousands of audio files outside of iTunes using Finder? Good luck with that. Its a snap to list and sort by the type of metadata you mention using iTunes.

You can search for file sizes within certain criteria but i want to search a large batch of files and then just sort them from biggest to smallest, not within any range, so the size criteria is not helpful in this instance.

Sounds like you want to search for, rather than find files. I can't think of many reasons that a search will return thousands of results if you are wanting to find something.

You can set size as a column view in a finder window, but not in search results.. unless i'm missing something...tried opening view options for the search window but there are no options. (you only have name, kind and last opened) I tried toggling 'show item info' which clutters the desktop and does not persist in search results What i just don't get is that the finder is obviously able to read metadata because of the huge array of search criteria, what is beyond me is why you can't display that metadata in a column view for easy sorting.

Item info persists in search results in icon view.
If you apply the multiple search criteria you should find the file you're looking for, not a whole bunch of close results. Isn't that the point of spotlight...
Have you tried using keywords in spotlight?

as for the open/save dialogue thing - i just got used to being able to do any kind of file task from within these dialogues in windows xp, it's very very handy and osx can't do it - i know there are workarounds - it's just been difficult getting used to not having it. There are many benefits to osx, but the finder is not one of them.

There's a theme here. You want the save dialogue to do file management tasks and somehow its an os flaw if it doesn't, but is optimized to save files instead. Do you try glueing planks with sandpaper too?

But to the point: you can get the functionality you want using a simple automator workflow saved as a finder plugin or a desktop droplet. Is that really harder to implement than a slew of third-party apps?

I understand that the Finder in Snow Leopard is much enhanced, and might include the feature you are looking for.

 

[assagai]

So you want to manage thousands of audio files outside of iTunes using Finder? Good luck with that. Its a snap to list and sort by the type of metadata you mention using iTunes.

Sounds like you want to search for, rather than find files. I can't think of many reasons that a search will return thousands of results if you are wanting to find something.

Item info persists in search results in icon view.
If you apply the multiple search criteria you should find the file you're looking for, not a whole bunch of close results. Isn't that the point of spotlight...
Have you tried using keywords in spotlight?

There's a theme here. You want the save dialogue to do file management tasks and somehow its an os flaw if it doesn't, but is optimized to save files instead. Do you try glueing planks with sandpaper too?

But to the point: you can get the functionality you want using a simple automator workflow saved as a finder plugin or a desktop droplet. Is that really harder to implement than a slew of third-party apps?

I understand that the Finder in Snow Leopard is much enhanced, and might include the feature you are looking for.

hehe, i actually hate these threads, there are a lot of reasons i'd want full file operstions from within an open/save dialogue, osx can't do it - i'm not insulting osx - i'm using it as my os of choice, - but i 'find' the finder is prehistoric compared to the flexibility of windows explorer.

let me outline my workflow - i create thousands of music files for tv shows that i write music for, these files are uncompressed and are tagged by mood, genre etc in the filename. I often need to reuse these pieces in different scenes, so i do a search by mood, character name etc, and sort the results by size, since i haven't yet found a finder app that can display track duration in the search results, size gives me an idea of the duration of the track, i can then audition the files by dragging them into my project - i do not want the finder to search for filesizes between x and y - i want ALL the files in a list sorted by size - now this is beyond the capability of the built in osx finder, so i have to use 3rd party software or other workarounds.

Itunes is not useful in this regard because i have to manually get to the file after auditioning it - cannot drag and drop from an itunes playlist into logic or cubase, thus creating another step in the workflow.

If you really insist on defending the finder to death that's fine with me - just know that windows explorer handles all these tasks with ease, and allows full file operation from within an open save dialogue, handy because open/save is usually in the last directory you were working in, so no need to open finder to navigate there.

what I'm left to do is either use 3rd party software, or completely reorganize my terabytes of files manually to make it easier to work within the limits of the finder.

granted these are not serious 'flaws' however i really feel finder needs to be brought into the modern age!

 

[d0b33]

I agree with assagai, the OSX finder is very limited not really 'power user' friendly.

I hope snow leopard has surprises in store or I'll be going Linux all the way.

 

[BobJones]

hehe, i actually hate these threads, there are a lot of reasons i'd want full file operstions from within an open/save dialogue, osx can't do it - i'm not insulting osx - i'm using it as my os of choice, - but i 'find' the finder is prehistoric compared to the flexibility of windows explorer.

IMHO explorer is severely lacking in a number of areas not least of which is search.

let me outline my workflow - i create thousands of music files for tv shows that i write music for, these files are uncompressed and are tagged by mood, genre etc in the filename. I often need to reuse these pieces in different scenes, so i do a search by mood, character name etc, and sort the results by size, since i haven't yet found a finder app that can display track duration in the search results, size gives me an idea of the duration of the track, i can then audition the files by dragging them into my project - i do not want the finder to search for filesizes between x and y - i want ALL the files in a list sorted by size - now this is beyond the capability of the built in osx finder, so i have to use 3rd party software or other workarounds.

Sounds like you don't really want to search, but rather browse. Have you thought of using Spotlight comments to tag files with Genre etc? How about that in combination with smart folders and automator? BTW the audio file duration is displayed when show item info is turned on for a folder.

Itunes is not useful in this regard because i have to manually get to the file after auditioning it - cannot drag and drop from an itunes playlist into logic or cubase, thus creating another step in the workflow.

Can't you organize and save the files as clips in logic and manage them there?

If you really insist on defending the finder to death that's fine with me - just know that windows explorer handles all these tasks with ease, and allows full file operation from within an open save dialogue, handy because open/save is usually in the last directory you were working in, so no need to open finder to navigate there.

what I'm left to do is either use 3rd party software, or completely reorganize my terabytes of files manually to make it easier to work within the limits of the finder.

granted these are not serious 'flaws' however i really feel finder needs to be brought into the modern age!

I have no need to defend finder, you posted bemoaning "os flaws". I was merely pointing out features that may assist in getting the outcomes you think can't be achieved without using 3rd party apps.
Apple products deliver the things that most people will use most of the time.
So don't have to manage thousands of sounds files, so use whatever you like.

 

[assagai]

logic has some flaws too - you can't export or import files with long filenames, logic concatenates the filenames, not very helpful.

I am browsing - within search results, when i get a thousand hits i want to sort them by size/duration and be able to preview them fast, the icon view is not very helpful here - if you can explain how to do that using the standard finder i'd be really grateful. I moved from xp so the previous thousands of files i created are not tagged and will take an age to tag with spotlight comments.

filebuddy does the task with ease, it has some basic features (sort by size!) that the finder really should have, but at $39 it didn't come cheap for a little bit of search simplicity

 

[StbA]

Open iTunes, Click on iTunes Store, Type in "Apple Quick Tips" Click on Podcast's
Select the Apple Quick Tips Podcast, Number 6 released 2009/03/09 has to do with Advanced find. Or in Finder click CMD+F, Select Kind - Other - Select - Duration or any other criteria that you want.

 

[assagai]

Close, but no cigar ;-)