| You have quite a long post based on your misunderstanding of the MacOS X system for associating files with their default applications. The default application is the application that launches when you double-click on a file. The default application does not preclude your opening a file in any other application. All you have to do is to open the file from within the File/Open dialog box. Alternatively, you may drag & drop file on the icon of the app that you want to open it.
MacOS X's preferred method for determining the default app by the file extension. However, the user may set the default application in the Get Info... dialog box for a single file or for all files with a particular extension. MacOS X also supports CREATOR and TYPE codes from MacOS 9 and earlier. Just as in the case of file extensions, the MacOS X method is more flexible than the MacOS 9 method. Using the Get Info... dialog box, the user may override the original application associated with the CREATOR/TYPE codes in favor of his preferred application. This may be done for a single file or for all files with a particular CREATOR/TYPE code set.
Admittedly, the MacOS X method may generate an occasional glitch. However, it is totally within the control of the user to fix the glitch. The added flexibility more than makes up for any inconvenience.  |