Comments on: OS X Finder tutorial and customizations (Part 3)

By: Scott Haneda

Scott Haneda — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:18:43 +0000

@forgola, I totally see your point. But the trouble I have is where do you draw the line? Get Info is in fact a form of a window, but I bet you would agree that has no place in the Window menu.

Eventually, I see fragmentation in the menu’s where it becomes a guessing game where things may be.

Don’t get me wrong, there are places in OS X that have options that make no sense. For example, to enable password protection after your computer goes to sleep, requires a dig into the keychain manager. To me, I would think the Energy Saver prefs is a nice place for that.

What the keychain has to do with this function, I understand, but again, it is nowhere a new user will ever find it.

I think we have to agree to disagree on the placement of the new window feature

In the end, just remember command-N and I think we can both agree that after you learn that one, where it is in the Finder windows is irrelevant.

By: frogola

frogola — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 23:51:17 +0000

@scott, from a human interface standpoint it makes more sense for window operations to be listed under ‘window’ and file operations to be listed under ‘file’ IMHO. Thanks for your quick reply.

By: MacRussian

MacRussian — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 23:30:11 +0000

@Scott, thank you for helping me out with this one!
Really, when you’re mastering something completely new, it depresses you if you can’t find an answer to what looks like a very easy question. You really do a great job helping us newbies understand how things are intended to work!

By: Scott Haneda

Scott Haneda — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 23:21:11 +0000

@MacRussian, I totally agree, if you have to know some secret to get to it, and you can not discover it on your own, it is a poor implementation. Why they did not just put it in the menu I do not know. There is plenty of room in the menu for it.

By: MacRussian

MacRussian — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 23:17:42 +0000

@Scott, thanks for the tip!
Anyway, in my humble opinion, the way of doing this (first selecting a batch of files, then clicking and holding on the File menu, then pressing the Control key) is not very well implemented…
Gosh, nobody’s perfect – not even the MAC OS designers, LOL

By: Scott Haneda

Scott Haneda — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:58:16 +0000

@frogola, from a human interface standpoint, I think Apple has made the right decision. The File menu performs ‘actions’ to some degree. The Window menu is more a way to move through windows and minimize them.

For as long as I can remember, the File menu has been where you go to make stuff happen. If I recall correct, in OS 9, the file menu held a listing to preferences, which has been moved now.

I would say these are logical places for these menu items to be. Once you get used to it, and even learn the keyboard command, it tends to make sense.

By: Scott Haneda

Scott Haneda — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:47:59 +0000

@MacRussian, the Get Summary Info window is a little hidden. If you select a batch of files, and then click and hold on the File menu, then, press the Control key, you will see the menu changes in real time. Also try the Option key, as that gives you some more features as well.

By: MacRussian

MacRussian — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:26:18 +0000

@Scott,
Thanks again for all the learning materials you write, they are immensely helpful for us new switchers!

The Mac OS has excellent built-in help search utility, but sometimes one just can’t find an answer to a question or two. Let me ask you one about Finder.

Sometimes I’d like to get summary info for a group of selected files, and I can’t for the life of me figure out how to do it the fast and easy way. I know there IS an elusive menu item File -> Get Summary Info, but so far I only managed to reach it via Help menu – I search for “get info” and then it points me to it, but otherwise this menu item looks like Get Info (not Get Summary Info), even when several files are highlighted!

I would really appreciate your help here.
Thanks and all best!

By: frogola

frogola — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:21:45 +0000

I got my first mac a couple of months ago. When I wanted a new finder window I would open the ‘Windows’ menu and there is no item to create a new window…it’s in the ‘File’ menu (as your post says). Very confusing! Why isn’t ‘new window’ in the ‘window’ menu???!!! I don’t want to create a file.

By: Joleen

Joleen — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 03:05:14 +0000

Being new to this I misunderstood what was happening there. Now I see. Thanks.

By: Scott Haneda

Scott Haneda — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:10:45 +0000

@Joleen, I am not entirely sure I follow. The sidebar is a link to some other object or place on your computer. So, if you want a new folder in there, that is not something you can do. If you have some other folder on your computer, one that you frequent, and want it in your sidebar, just drag it in and it should link to it just fine.

If I have grossly misunderstood your question, just post a reply, and we should be able to work it out.

By: Joleen

Joleen — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:22:33 +0000

I am also new to Mac and a friend sent this site to me. So far it has been helpful but there is one thing that I have yet to figure out.

How do I create a new folder in the finder window under the places section in the sidebar? Every time I have tried I end up with a new folder inside of a folder that is already there.

By: Shore Scores

Shore Scores — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 08:33:34 +0000

Thanks for the well-written and concise tips! I am amazed at all the things I didn’t know about OS X. I look forward to your next email with a fresh new set of lessons!
- Shore Scores

By: Barry Walle

Barry Walle — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:40:26 +0000

I’m newly converting to Mac and this is the most helpful site I have found so far.