Why does Finder SUCK???

[fryke]

While some people might think the Finder's not so important, it clearly _is_ to many (probably most) users. And those who have a past in OS 8 and OS 9 simply _know_ that the spatial Finder was a truth then and that the OS X Finder, in many ways, is very sloppy about things and often too slow.
If, coming from Windows and/or Linux, the Finder is "okay" for accessing the filesystem, in no way does that make it good enough for long-time (10y+) Mac users.

[Damrod]

Originally Posted by fryke

While some people might think the Finder's not so important, it clearly _is_ to many (probably most) users. And those who have a past in OS 8 and OS 9 simply _know_ that the spatial Finder was a truth then and that the OS X Finder, in many ways, is very sloppy about things and often too slow.
If, coming from Windows and/or Linux, the Finder is "okay" for accessing the filesystem, in no way does that make it good enough for long-time (10y+) Mac users.

Doubled. If you see how fast for example PathFinder can handle directory listings and the like, it's a shame that the built-in solution is not as capable.

I agree that probably not many users need all functions that tools like PathFinder have. But for the love of god, it can not be that the link between the UNIX-core and the UI is SO bad as it is now in parts. If one of the long time parts of the system needs attention, then it's Finder. And I honestly hope that it's not going in the "ditch Finder for Spotlight" direction.

[chevy]

The Finder (and Explorer) are too old fashion. They are not made to manage so many files, so much data. Spotlight is just an ersatz.

All files should be managed by a database, indexed, browsable by several complex criteria, including content, date, hierarchy... As an example when I write technical reports I use my data differently from when I write a logbook or when I send emails. Even between two different reports, I may need the data organized by project, by product, by customer, by date or by type.

[knight885]

Spotlight would be useful - but by NO MEANS a Finder replacement - if it actually found files you search for, but it doesn't. It misses files, and often shows me results from way outside the folder I'm looking at - that's why its counter-intuitive.

To be fair, Windows Explorer does exactly the same when searching for text within files. Unless certain file types are registered (by hacking inside the registry, not exactly a user-friendly method) they won't be searched. Any search function which - by design - DOESN'T search every possible file is useless. In fact it's worse, it's dangerous.

I have two big complaints with Finder. The switching views as you navigate around folders - if I pick icon view, I don't want column view appearing when I change folders. Nor do I want sub-folders expanded in List View as they were when I last looked at it.

The other problem is network connection - why oh why can't it reconnect to my server if its turned on? A simple "Reconnect" or "persistent" option would do. The only solution I've found - an AppleScript application at startup - just locks Finder for five minutes if the server isn't turned on.

As for how long you spend in Finder every day, it's irrelevant. It should do it's job easily and intuitively, just like all the other Apple apps do, whether you use it for ten minutes or an hour. Its just not "heavy duty' enough.

[Darshan]

Easy Find http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/11076
is a handy little freebie. Works quite nicely.

[knight885]

Originally Posted by Darshan

Easy Find http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/11076
is a handy little freebie. Works quite nicely.

Already found it, it's very good.

[fryke]

That's all good and well - and I like EasyFind as a fix for my biggest spotlight problems - but it doesn't make the Finder "not suck". I guess most of the things about why some people think the Finder needs fixing have been called here so far. Then again, these things have been mentioned since Mac OS X 10.0 at least (at least John Siracusa from arstechnica.com has cried out again and again about the FTFF-problem since the early days of OS X and some of us with him) - and Apple has _not_ given the Finder the attention asked for. In the past, what, 7 years? SEVEN years. To me, it just sounds like Apple's treating it like a dead horse. Don't beat it. There had been talk about a true Cocoa Finder solving all problems since 10.0 (again), and it simply never came. Maybe we _will_ have to wait 'til Mac OS Eleven for "something completely different".

[powermac]

The Finder needs an overhaul. GUI vise, the interface needs to be consistent through out. Also, how you view folders, and their content needs to be more consistent. Preview view, I feel Windows does this better, needs work. Networking is another area, it is clumsy on the current Finder.
I truly hope Leopard addresses these issues.