cut files / rename files

[Thank The Cheese]

good tips Mikuro! Forgot about Expose. I don't use it often, but it can come in handy. I actually didn't know pressing Space forced spring loading. cool!

[dmetzcher]

Originally Posted by Thank The Cheese

true, true, but that's a problem in itself, because it is failed, confusing logic, which is one of the major problems with Windows. If you Cut a file, it should be cut altogether, otherwise it isn't really being cut, it's being "held" or "marked". Apple have obviously realised this, hence only allowing you to move with the mouse.

I realise the cut paste thing isn't too hard to grasp for you or I, because we know how to use computers, but people who don't know may get confused.

I think they should introduce a "Move..." item in the Edit menu. When you select a file(s), the Move... becomes active. When you select the item, a navigation window pops up and asks for a destination. This is logical and easy to grasp for beginners before they discover better ways.

I agree with the Move item idea.
I also want cut/paste. I understand your concern for new users and novices, however, that should not stop more productive tools from being added. New users will learn cut and paste the same way that they learn how to empty the trash and use a mouse.

[mosx86]

Originally Posted by Thank The Cheese

I think they should introduce a "Move..." item in the Edit menu. When you select a file(s), the Move... becomes active. When you select the item, a navigation window pops up and asks for a destination. This is logical and easy to grasp for beginners before they discover better ways.

I whole heartedly agree with this. Personally, I find the "cut" metaphor to be confusing. Sure, I know what it does, but if I hadn't been told what it did long ago, I'm not sure I would have figured it out on my own.

[fryke]

Ah, just forget you've ever been able to cut and paste files and folders. Start to move them. If you cut and paste files and folders for prolonged times a day, your head starts to spin and hurt.

Some things are just different in other systems. Adapt.

[SuperTyphoon]

Who cuts and pastes folders all day?

[fryke]

I should have added a winking smiley. What I wanted to express was the feeling that from the original desktop metaphor point of view, it's not logical to "cut" and "paste" files and folders. To "move" them, however, is clear in that sense.

[Thank The Cheese]

Originally Posted by mosx86

...Personally, I find the "cut" metaphor to be confusing. Sure, I know what it does, but if I hadn't been told what it did long ago, I'm not sure I would have figured it out on my own.

exactly. Look at word processors: if you select a paragraph in TextEdit and choose 'Cut', that paragraph will be completely removed until it is pasted. If you copy another paragraph before pasting the first, the cut paragraph is pretty much lost.

So if Apple chose to do Cut and Paste the Windows way, they will have contradicting logic in two of their own applications. That's just not the Apple way.

[dmetzcher]

Originally Posted by Thank The Cheese

exactly. Look at word processors: if you select a paragraph in TextEdit and choose 'Cut', that paragraph will be completely removed until it is pasted. If you copy another paragraph before pasting the first, the cut paragraph is pretty much lost.

So if Apple chose to do Cut and Paste the Windows way, they will have contradicting logic in two of their own applications. That's just not the Apple way.

OK, call it "mark" then, instead of cut. I don't care what they call it, frankly. I just want the functionality. They can call it "move this file to a new location if you want, but if you copy something else in the meantime, this file will not be moved when you select paste from any of our lovely drop-down menus".

How's that? I know it might not fit in the limited menu space, but who cares? I like it!

This next bit isn't directed at anyone in particular...

For everyone who says that Apple will not be adding this in some future release...remember that they were never coming out with a two-button mouse...oh, and that Intel's chips sucked and they'll never use them....that too. The writing is on the wall. The more the Mac OS makes its way into the homes and offices of new customers, the more the Mac OS will begin to cater to those new customers. One of the best selling points for any OS is that you don't have to learn it in order to use it. We all know that there is some level of learning with any new OS, but when you are trying to sell to business and home users, saying something like, "this is better than what you have, and you won't really have much of a learning curve if you switch to our product", goes a long way. It's what sells things to businesses and consumers alike.

I see a lot of comments on message boards that say something to the effect of, "I want to be different. I don't want this added, or that added." Forget that the feature would help them. It's all about not being like you-know-who for them. Do you think that Apple is going to cater to them, or the masses? I'll put my money on the masses, because Apple, in the beginning and the end, is a corporation looking to make money. Love Steve Jobs all you want, but he is not your friend. He is, always has been, and always will be, a businessman. Apple doesn't want a niche market. They want to ditch the niche, and go broader than that, just like every other publicly held company.



Anyway, I hope they add "cut" to the list of great features. With an OS this advanced, it's the little things that I nit-pick, because I don't really have any major complaints.