During the preview of OS X 10.5 Leopard by Steve Jobs at the WWDC07, one of the new features was an improved Finder.
For those Windows types out there the Finder is file management / launcher application in OS X, similar to the Explorer in Microsoft Windows.
The OS X Finder has been in need of improvement for a long time. It currently is sparse and very limited in functions. Strangely, it seems to go against the Mac “ease of use and efficient functionality” mantras. In this regard the announced improved Finder was indeed welcomed.
However, what was shown during the WWDC presentation leaves one wondering if the improvements are really going to be more then skin deep. The main new feature called “Cover Flow” gives you a view of your files using a interface similar to the cover view option in iTunes. This new view presents a rolling preview of your files, applications, documents, etc. Very pretty, but how useful is it?
James Stoup, Apple Matters, expressed his opinion on Cover Flow as being “Eye Candy.” :
Eye candy isnât very useful
Why such harsh words? Because, as nice as Cover Flow is in iTunes it is completely wasted on the new Finder. Not to mention the time wasted coding that could have been better spent on other issues (like including an option to make the freaking menu bar NOT transparent). Yes, Cover Flow bothers me greatly. I donât like it already because I know I will virtually never use it. And Jobsâ cool demo aside, when will your average user actually use this feature? Well, if they want to look through their music they would use iTunes, if they wanted to view their photos they would use iPhoto, and so that leaves what for Cover Flow to do? Flip through Word documents? I donât think so. Why, then, are we now touting eye candy as anything other than it is? Donât lie to me and talk about how useful this will be.
I think I share many of the same opinions as James. Due to the current state of the OS X Finder, I use a third part Finder substitute application called Path Finder. I’ve used Path Finder for a number of years and it’s an amazing product that does everything and then some. It actually does much more then I need and I doubt that I use more the 50% of it’s capabilities. If compatible, I expect I’ll still use it with Leopard. The previews of the improved Finder haven’t made me think it will replace the functionality of Path Finder.
Apple knew it’s Finder needed improvement. They decided to make small improvements with a large dose of “Eye Candy” (the MS Vista effect.) I wish their decisions had been to purchased Path Finder, making it the default finder for OS X Leopard. I guess they had their reasons, but one has to wonder why re-invent the wheel.
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