unfamiliar with no fixed taskbar

You'll have to learn about spring-loaded folders.

When you're dragging something into folders, those folders are rarely more than two levels deeper than the default things in your sidebar (applications, home folder, documents folder etc.). So, when you want to drag something into a different folder, click and drag it over the folder's containing folder, but HOLD THE FILES OVER IT (instead of dropping them), and it'll open up that folder. Move the files over the next containing folder, and, again, don't drop, just hold, and that folder will open up too. When you're done, just drop them, and there you go.

Takes some practice, but it's good. Of course, if you have folders you often use, drag them to the sidebar for easier access.


You can also drag and drop with Exposé; I often use the "Show Desktop" (F11) one for dragging to the desktop or to networked folders. If you're dragging text from a Safari webpage to TextEdit or Word, just pick it up, Exposé All Applications, hold the clipping over the one you want (you can press the Space bar to instantly open a spring-loaded folder) and then drop in the document.

You can drag and Cmd+Tab too.
 
It's worth noting that spring-loaded folders is an OPTIONAL feature, and might be disabled (it should be on by default). You can enable it in the Finder's Preferences (under the Finder menu). You can also change the delay before folders spring. Personally, I like to max out the delay and just use the space bar to instantly make them spring open. That way I don't get unwanted springs.
 
Wow, that is great! it works like a charm! thanks. this computer just gets better.


sorry to be persistant, but does anyone know about the right click dilemma?

it seems like mac people don't seem too concerned about the right click features, but i don't understand how else to access the actions available in right click. perhaps it's just something i have to learn to work around.
'
btw I installed witch! and I completely love it! thanks:)
 
Hold the Control Key while clicking, same as right click, or get a two button mouse.
 
bobw said:
Hold the Control Key while clicking, same as right click, or get a two button mouse.
Click to expand...
Just as a follow-up, any two-button mouse with (or without) a scrollwheel should work. Logitech makes great mice.
 
Thanks anyway, I was looking to not have to use two hands to right click without the mouse. It's not the worst thing in the world. Just though it might be out there.

does anyone know why there is no right click button on the mac? the sub menu that it accesses is there... I just was wondering... it seems odd to make something so dificult to get to.
 
morning said:
Thanks anyway, I was looking to not have to use two hands to right click without the mouse. It's not the worst thing in the world. Just though it might be out there.

does anyone know why there is no right click button on the mac? the sub menu that it accesses is there... I just was wondering... it seems odd to make something so dificult to get to.
Click to expand...
I agree that it seems odd to make this so hard to get to. But I try not to bring it up with long-time Mac users because it tends to create a nasty little flame war between those who agree that two-buttons are more efficient, and those who feel that one button is. (Now this thread will veer off-topic into a place somewhat like purgatory.)

Apple's getting there, however. Though it was a poor excuse for a two-button mouse, IMHO, the Mighty Mouse was Apple's first try at two buttons. We'll see where it goes. Seems a little odd to me that they are giving it away with iMacs, but not with any other models. Now they have two standards, it seems.
 
morning said:
Thanks anyway, I was looking to not have to use two hands to right click without the mouse. It's not the worst thing in the world. Just though it might be out there.
Click to expand...
You don't need to use two hands. Just hold down the mouse button for a second and the menu(s) pop up.

It's not hard.
 
simbalala said:
You don't need to use two hands. Just hold down the mouse button for a second and the menu(s) pop up.

It's not hard.
Click to expand...
This works in the Dock, but hardly anywhere else. It is NOT standard behavior.

I don't know of any way to remap a laptop's button, but I don't use laptops much, so I've never tried. Maybe USB Overdrive could help you, but I'm not even sure if the trackpad and button on laptops use USB, so this is sort of a shot in the dark.


At this point, I agree that Apple needs to add the second button. Their software design philosophy has strayed from their hardware design philosophy. It used to be that you never needed the contextual menu for anything, but that's not the case anymore. There are lots of things, like spell checking, that have no home besides the CM. That's really bad interface design, but that's the decision Apple made, and their hardware should reflect that.

It's important to note that even so, Macs don't rely on CMs nearly as much as Windows does. This is largely thanks to the Mac's top-anchored menu bar, which is much more efficient than the window-based menus on all other platforms (the reason nobody else uses the Mac's menu style is because it's one of the few things Apple clearly locked a patent on).

I have a three-button mouse, and I actually remap the second button, because I don't find CMs useful enough to justify such a prime position.

But Apple's been walking the fence for too long here. Pick a side and do it right!
 
simbalala said:
You don't need to use two hands. Just hold down the mouse button for a second and the menu(s) pop up.

It's not hard.
Click to expand...
The wait is a killer though. Who has time to click, hold, and wait? When I know exactly what I want to do, waiting even one second longer than I have to is annoying, especially when I am working fast and have a good rhythm going.
 
Morning, if you can pinpoint when you are "control-clicking", we may be able to suggest alternatives. Be sure to search on Versiontracker (www.versiontracker.com). There may be a utility to remap the mouse button to right-click.

In general, it doesn't take most people long to get up to speed on OS X, especially when you get help in forums. And we enjoy helping people.

Those few who expect OS X to be a Windows XP clone--and who won't tolerate anything different--are very unhappy. But you don't sound like you're that inflexible.

Which Mac did you buy?

Doug
 
There are several tools to do multiple clicking and scrolling with the trackpad on an Apple notebook. Search macupdate.com and versiontracker.com for "trackpad". Should give some results.
 
Mikuro said:
This works in the Dock, but hardly anywhere else. It is NOT standard behavior.
Click to expand...
:confused: It's not standard behavior?

It's been standard behavior for years and years from Classic till now, it's an inherent method for a single button mouse. How do you think people accessed these menus via the mouse before multiple button mice were recognized by the system?

I'd be interested in knowing where it doesn't work for you.
 
morning said:
it seems like mac people don't seem too concerned about the right click features, but i don't understand how else to access the actions available in right click. perhaps it's just something i have to learn to work around.
Click to expand...

All the options in the contextual (right-click) menus can be found in the menubar menus in any app that follows Apple's guidelines.

I hardly ever use the right-click, even though I have a two-button mouse. Mostly just for the dock, and in iTunes.
 
thanks, that is a cool trick from simbalala. I love that it opens the menu when you hold it down. What a shame it doesn't work everywhere. Ah, well...
those other programs look perfect. especially sidetrack. I am going to check it out right now. It looks like it will do exactly what I was asking for.
thanks Ora.

Oh, And Doug, I bought a 12" ibook. I love it. I can see how I may need to upgrade in a year or so, especially if I do away with my clunky old desktop.
However, I am digging it so far.
I was such a reluctant switcher... now I am so happy that I took the plunge.
:D
 
Wow Again,
The SideTrack has so many great features I wouldn't have even thought possible. I'm amazed.. what is this? can I have everything I want?
It is a shame I have to get used to no two finger scrolling, but I have only had the laptop for three weeks. But otherwise, It covers all of my wildest right and left click dreams, and even allows you to map a corner tap to expose
Good Stuff!
 
morning said:
It is a shame I have to get used to no two finger scrolling, but I have only had the laptop for three weeks.
Click to expand...
Didn't you buy a new iBook? They have two-finger scrolling. If you bought an older model, like I have (the one released just before the current model), you can use the iScroll2 application to get two-finger scrolling a few other features.
 
simbalala said:
:confused: It's not standard behavior?

It's been standard behavior for years and years from Classic till now, it's an inherent method for a single button mouse. How do you think people accessed these menus via the mouse before multiple button mice were recognized by the system?

I'd be interested in knowing where it doesn't work for you.
Click to expand...
With control-click. That's always been the way it's been done on the Mac.

Click-and-hold only worked in a few specific apps in OS 9, too (mostly web browsers). In fact, click-and-hold had a different purpose in OS 9: using spring-loaded folders without dragging an item (I don't know why this doesn't work in X). Here's a list of places it does and doesn't work for me. This has been consistent through all versions of OS X from 10.0.0 to 10.4.4.

Works:
Dock
Firefox (which doesn't use standard menus at all, of course)
iCab (optionally)

Doesn't work:
The Finder
Text fields (for things like spell check in, for example, TextEdit or Safari)
Camino
Safari
iTunes
Xcode

Does click-and-hold work for you in those apps? Unless this is a laptop-specific feature of OS X, I think you must have some third-party utility installed. I know FinderPop could do it in OS 9, but I don't know about X (although I seem to recall there being some).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top