10.8 All the Little Things!

[klaxamazoo]

I agree with you....but

If you save your files with some meta data you can just search..

I was in a share point class where I was treated as the slow kid because I have folders within folders it's just how I think and organize

A folder hierarchy is metadata. It establishes a clear set of relationships in an incredibly simple manner and with very little typing.

I've tried metadata/keyword tagging programs for organizing my 20,000+ SEM images. While it got the job done, it was just too much work and it was much easier to use something like iView Media Pro which has hierarchical keywords which mimic a folder structure.

Another good example is Papers2 by Mekentosj. It has a great search engine in to search through the 10,000+ research articles I have. Yet it still supplies a folder hierarchy because articles need to be grouped together and sub-categorized and a folder hierarchy is a good way to do that.

The ability to both search and utilized a hierarchy structure is incredibly powerful, doing away with one of those features is like removing one of you legs. Sure, you can get around just fine and some people will marvel at how much weight they've lost, but chances are you will be hindered more than helped.

 

[notrack]

klaxamazoo, I agree with you. I have tried tagging but it's a lot of maintainance work.

Folders are quick and easy, however, the downside is that you can place a file only in one folder. If you have a file related to multiple topics/places/projects, you're screwed already. Tagging-only means to give up structure.

We as humans think and organise in hirarchies by nature. But that doesn't mean that are no relations between (sub-)categories. And that's what Finder can't manage.

I'm curious how/whether Apple will approach that.

They're synced to

~/Library/Mobile Documents/

, just like Dropbox

Are they accessable as actual files in 10.8? In lion they are stored as folders without the index.xml and therefor not to open with any app.

 

[GermanyChris]

A folder hierarchy is metadata. It establishes a clear set of relationships in an incredibly simple manner and with very little typing.

I've tried metadata/keyword tagging programs for organizing my 20,000+ SEM images. While it got the job done, it was just too much work and it was much easier to use something like iView Media Pro which has hierarchical keywords which mimic a folder structure.

Another good example is Papers2 by Mekentosj. It has a great search engine in to search through the 10,000+ research articles I have. Yet it still supplies a folder hierarchy because articles need to be grouped together and sub-categorized and a folder hierarchy is a good way to do that.

The ability to both search and utilized a hierarchy structure is incredibly powerful, doing away with one of those features is like removing one of you legs. Sure, you can get around just fine and some people will marvel at how much weight they've lost, but chances are you will be hindered more than helped.

For me it's just that I'm anal I like things grouped by project all versions of all data produces most recent version first and grouped i.e. multiple thing for the project in on folder even if it's a duplicate from the previous version..I like to see the evolution of a project that way I don't need to re-learn stuff if/when I do that same thing next year.

 

[macuser2134]

Text-to-speech

Text-to-speech. It really needs its own, seperate volume control.

If a 3rd party application invokes this feature - it always comes on extremely lound at 100% max volume. So unfortunately never gets used even though its such a great feature.

Just to be clear we would expect any new option to appear in the "Text to speech" tab of the Speech preferences pane.

10.6 only had a slider for Speaking rate (Slow-Normal-Fast). Will a volume control be added in Mountain Lion? Or even the current OS X Lion?

 

[Beavix]

It irritates me when people suggest that creating hierarchy's of folders has anything to do with professional work. Ridiculous.

I am a graphic designer and for me a typical project contains the following items:
- One or more main source files (e.g. Adobe InDesign files).
- One or more additional source files for artwork linked inside the main files (e.g Photoshop or Illustrator files).
- One or more files received from the client (could be anything: DOC, XLS, PPT, TXT, EPS...)
- One or more PDF files, exported from the main source files.

If you think I could manage my projects without using a hierarchical folder structure, you're wrong. When Spotlight was introduced in Tiger I jumped into the "tags and smart folders" bandwagon, only to discover what a PITA really is. Seven years later we still don't have a way to manage tags in OS X, so 10 years from now we'll still be working with files and folders.

 

[kirky29]

I am a graphic designer and for me a typical project contains the following items:
- One or more main source files (e.g. Adobe InDesign files).
- One or more additional source files for artwork linked inside the main files (e.g Photoshop or Illustrator files).
- One or more files received from the client (could be anything: DOC, XLS, PPT, TXT, EPS...)
- One or more PDF files, exported from the main source files.

If you think I could manage my projects without using a hierarchical folder structure, you're wrong. When Spotlight was introduced in Tiger I jumped into the "tags and smart folders" bandwagon, only to discover what a PITA really is. Seven years later we still don't have a way to manage tags in OS X, so 10 years from now we'll still be working with files and folders.

I too do a lot of Graphic Design and completely agree with you.

 

[klaxamazoo]

I am a graphic designer and for me a typical project contains the following items:
- One or more main source files (e.g. Adobe InDesign files).
- One or more additional source files for artwork linked inside the main files (e.g Photoshop or Illustrator files).
- One or more files received from the client (could be anything: DOC, XLS, PPT, TXT, EPS...)
- One or more PDF files, exported from the main source files.

If you think I could manage my projects without using a hierarchical folder structure, you're wrong. When Spotlight was introduced in Tiger I jumped into the "tags and smart folders" bandwagon, only to discover what a PITA really is. Seven years later we still don't have a way to manage tags in OS X, so 10 years from now we'll still be working with files and folders.

Ultimately there is nothing stopping people from Flattening their file structure using the existing Finder. If someone doesn't like Hierarchical file structures than don't use it, but that is no reason to remove Hierarchical file structures for the rest of us.

 

[JuicyJones]

Look Up

The "Look Up" feature has been changed from a double tap with 3 fingers to a single tap with three fingers. This is much easier to use. For those of you who don't know what the "look up" feature is, place your cursor over a word a single tap with 3 fingers if you have 10.8 or double tap with 2 fingers with 10.7

 

[Cinder6]

The "Look Up" feature has been changed from a double tap with 3 fingers to a single tap with three fingers. This is much easier to use. For those of you who don't know what the "look up" feature is, place your cursor over a word a single tap with 3 fingers if you have 10.8 or double tap with 2 fingers with 10.7

Any way to change this back to single tap? It breaks functionality with MiddleClick.

 

[madeofchalk]

klaxamazoo, I agree with you. I have tried tagging but it's a lot of maintainance work.

Folders are quick and easy, however, the downside is that you can place a file only in one folder. If you have a file related to multiple topics/places/projects, you're screwed already. Tagging-only means to give up structure.

We as humans think and organise in hirarchies by nature. But that doesn't mean that are no relations between (sub-)categories. And that's what Finder can't manage.

I'm curious how/whether Apple will approach that.



Are they accessable as actual files in 10.8? In lion they are stored as folders without the index.xml and therefor not to open with any app.

It is clear this folder is only ment to be accessed by the apps (hence why it is in ~/Library/). Havent tried opening the documents, but the Preview file opens fine.

 

[notrack]

Looks like nothing changed there. The previews are just jpegs. You can put iwork documents in that folder and they will be synced fine to iDevice. But once you open it on the mac and hit cmd-S, it will be converted into that folder type thingy and you can't open it anymore the next time.

 

[MattInOz]

I guess that is because they (me too) can't picture any better alternative today. Finder in column view plus Spotlight is pretty powerful and really easy to use. It's by far not the ultimate solution but the best in terms of "quick and easy". Can't wait to see what Apple will come up with.

This...
Open to alternatives, actively looking, seen lots of curious possibilities.
Sure being in that folder vs some other folder or in both is just a matter of metadata as far as the computer is concerned. Until the system makes information more accessible with less work then the folder system will rule.
Especially in teams. If anything in teams I want the system more forceful about keeping things in the right place.

Would love to see more metadata injected into files by default. I mean things like email tagging a file with who sent it would be a start let alone other meta it could pick up from the email.

To me iCloud is good when a file is exclusively mine, but does nothing to help us deal with same problems of which file is the most up to date with teams.

 

[JuicyJones]

Any way to change this back to single tap? It breaks functionality with MiddleClick.

As of now I don't see a way to do it.

 

[jayhawk11]

Here's a very little one: Disabling the infrared receiver on your Mac is now hidden inside "Advanced Settings" in the Security preference pane.

 

[AdeFowler]

Rename files in Open dialog boxes.

 

[JohnDoe98]

klaxamazoo, I agree with you. I have tried tagging but it's a lot of maintainance work.

Folders are quick and easy, however, the downside is that you can place a file only in one folder. If you have a file related to multiple topics/places/projects, you're screwed already. Tagging-only means to give up structure.

You can't make aliases?

We as humans think and organise in hirarchies by nature. But that doesn't mean that are no relations between (sub-)categories. And that's what Finder can't manage.

I don't see why not. You could just add metatags to files/folders and let Finder have some advanced search parameters.

----------

Also on the desktop it will be beneficial to move away from the "A file is in a folder is in a folder is in a folder" structure. If I open iTunes, I see all my music in a simple, organized way. I don't care that each song is stored in
/Users/username/Music/iTunes/Media/_name of artist_/_name of album_/artist.album.songname.mp3

I can find my music because iTunes let's me search directly for song titles, and because it'll classify the music into Albums, Artists, Genres, etc. But handling files isn't the same as handling music. Working off your iTunes example, look at how iTunes handles iTunes U content with the Caterogies viewing option. First it lists all the different subjects (level 1), then it lists all the individual courses (level 2), then it lists the individual lectures (level 3). That is already more than the built-in structure you get in iOS or what appears to be coming for iCloud, since you only get 2 levels, the main window with its files and folders (level 1), and whatever content is in the folders (level 2).

If a two level hierarchy was sufficient for more complex tasks, why is it the Apple Store and iTunes Stores tend to have incredibly deep hierarchies for storing the content? Obviously it is because you can keep things organized much more efficiently and because it is easier to track down rather than having to scan a huge file list.

I typically need 3-4 levels deep, and on some projects I needed up to 5 to keep everything organized. The 2 levels that iOS and iCloud on ML offer isn't enough. Besides, I don't see why they can't just add folders within folders. Seems like an easy thing to program. But if a better way of organizing my projects comes along, I'll happily employ it. In the mean time I'll keep running Finder and apps on iOS that give me Finder like abilities. Though I use iWork for iOS, I won't let the iWork apps do my organizing for me because they are crippled in their abilities.

 

[xinevil]

When changing my Time Machine backup volume, I noticed this:

I think it is new in Mountain Lion (I couldn't find anything on the internet yet)

 

[Jagardn]

When changing my Time Machine backup volume, I noticed this:
Image
I think it is new in Mountain Lion (I couldn't find anything on the internet yet)

That does look new...NICE!

 

[maestroskillz]

Performing a 2 finger "pinch" while in Launchpad changes the spacing between the icons. I'm not sure if this feature is present in Lion though.

 

[notrack]

You can't make aliases?



I don't see why not. You could just add metatags to files/folders and let Finder have some advanced search parameters.
....

Placing aliases manually all over makes no sense. Acutally I used the word Finder to refer to a file/folder system, not meaning Finder.app per se.

Using meta data you don't need the advanced search. Just use spotlight and type "tag:" in front of the tag you're looking for. Although, to add tags you still need a third party app. It might make sense to integrate that funcionality into the save dialog.

 

[GermanyChris]

I know tagging works and is reasonably easy..I just can't stand a complete lack of structure that comes with that method. I think tagging and metadata are great for pictures i.e. searching by object in the photo vs album or when, but for files I just have to sort by project.

 

[jayhawk11]

When changing my Time Machine backup volume, I noticed this: *snip*

It might not have been mentioned in this thread, but it's been talked about quite a bit online. Lets you have multiple backup disks, for people that are paranoid and like to cycle them around. I think it's more interesting for those who want to do a network backup and a local.

 

[Digital Skunk]

When changing my Time Machine backup volume, I noticed this:
Image
I think it is new in Mountain Lion (I couldn't find anything on the internet yet)

That is VERY new, very welcomed, and very needed.

It's always one or two features that get me to upgrade to the next OS, with Tiger it was Dashboard, Leopard had Time Machine, Snow Leopard pulled all of the PPC coding and made Leopard MUCH improved . . . . well . . . I skipped Lion . . . . nothing new there.

But Mountain Lion is going to get me with that feature right there and the notification center.

 

[vex95]

Skype integration

I don't have the Skype.app on my computer but when I opened up Address Book and clicked on the title next to a number, this menu appeared. Looks like apple will integrate Skype in messages to have the mac make phone calls

 

[mystera]

Performing a 2 finger "pinch" while in Launchpad changes the spacing between the icons. I'm not sure if this feature is present in Lion though.View attachment 325751

Nope, not in Lion.