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Do Macs have a replacement for these PC functions

B

bigvibes

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 16, 2018
4
0
I've just started using a Macbook Pro after using a PC for 30 years and I'm having a hard time adjusting for these three reasons. Can anyone help...

- I'm looking for a utility that looks more like Windows Explorer as the Finder is absolute trash for file management. I tried downloading Macintosh Explorer, which WAS good I'm sure back when they were updating it, but now the program doesn't work as the dates on the files are all messed up (i.e year 383923) so I can't sort files based on date, which defeats the purpose of using it.

- Whenever I use a program like Photoshop or MS Word and I try to save a file it does not let me save a file to a specific directory. It only gives me the option of saving into the downloads, documents folder, online. Am I missing something here... is there no way to choose a specific folder within a program or do I have to save it to documents every time then go into the finder once I'm done and move it?

- Is there a way to have windows open to their maximum size automatically (showing the title bar, not full screen) or do I have to resize it manually each time?
 
Preface: I'm and old (both in age and number of years using) Windows user who for the last 20 years or so uses several Macs at work and Windows machines at both work and home.

Finder: The Mac Finder is rather ill behaved and has a number (ever increasing with new releases) very annoying bad habits that I would, as an old software developer, consider bugs. Still, I don't find it all that bad.

Photoshop, et. al.: Apps generally use a system call to produce a file dialog which means they get a dialog with the OS's standard behavior. This means that the behavior is not the same across differing OSs. On Mac the dialog Ps produces will have the functionality you need, you just need to adapt to the Mac's differences.

There are two controls in the file save dialog that you need to work with. One is the popup control just below the filename field. Clicking this produces a menu list of the series of parent folders to the current folder separated from a list of the most recent other folders you used in Ps. Using this control you should be able to navigate to any folder on your HD. The second is the "New Folder" button that is "hidden" way out of the way and down in the lowest left corner of the save dialog where it is very easily overlooks. This creates a new folder in the currently selected folder.
 
bigvibes said:
I've just started using a Macbook Pro after using a PC for 30 years and I'm having a hard time adjusting for these three reasons. Can anyone help...

- I'm looking for a utility that looks more like Windows Explorer as the Finder is absolute trash for file management. I tried downloading Macintosh Explorer, which WAS good I'm sure back when they were updating it, but now the program doesn't work as the dates on the files are all messed up (i.e year 383923) so I can't sort files based on date, which defeats the purpose of using it.

- Whenever I use a program like Photoshop or MS Word and I try to save a file it does not let me save a file to a specific directory. It only gives me the option of saving into the downloads, documents folder, online. Am I missing something here... is there no way to choose a specific folder within a program or do I have to save it to documents every time then go into the finder once I'm done and move it?

- Is there a way to have windows open to their maximum size automatically (showing the title bar, not full screen) or do I have to resize it manually each time?
Click to expand...

I use PathFinder as my primary file manager... I've been using PathFinder since I found it some 7-8 years ago ... love it, and could not function without it. Back in my Windows days, I used a program called WindowsCommander (later renamed to TotalCommander) - and PathFinder is the same concept... dual pane file manager from Cocoatech.

As for the Save dialog, yes, there are nuances, but it's pretty self-explanatory, actually.

And with regard to opening Apps to take up the entire screen without using the FullScreen mode that hides the Menu bar, I use Moom... it's a handy little utility from ManyTricks Software and it does the trick... if you hover over the green stoplight, you will see another dialog popup to allow you to blow up the app to use the entire screen... and for me, at least, once I've set it up, I rarely have to do it again for any specific app. One caveat: it doesn't work with all apps... and Photoshop / Photoshop Elements are on the list of items that Moom doesn't work with... however, again, once I've set the position of the app on my screen, I don't have to make any changes or adjustments.
 
jerryk said:
Yep for Windows use used to their file dialogs that can do everything, Macs can be frustrating.
Click to expand...
???

1. OSX remembers the type of dialog user used last time. Default first time is the tiny save-as dialog which is very minimalistic (kind of iOS-like ;-) ). But clicking the arrow next to Save as field will open full capabilities dialog and that will be opened next time. I have seen the minimalistic dialog may be few times over many years - usually after full system reinstall. Immediately change to full size dialog and never see the tiny version again... Next I get dialog with full capabilities.

2. Finder and Windows explorer have pretty much same capabilities. I use them both at the same time (I run Windows in Parallels) and have yet to find any real difference (I have them now side by side). They have their own logic and idiosyncrasies, but basically do the same job. About same capabilities, give or take few on each side...

3. For those wanting two pane replacement for Finder - I use ForkLift. Kind of like OSX version of MidnightCommander (or Norton Commander(???) before that), for those of old age like me. Works quite well.

4. If you need to extend Finder capabilities, Default Folder X adds some useful controls which makes Finder quite better.

Resizing windows is interesting problem - I also use Moom for this.
It is actually bit more complicated on OSX philosophically to deal with this. This is where I see annoying issues for users coming from Windows (or switching between them as myself). Some programs have their own rectangular private desktop, some use one main window, possibly with tabs... Some have many free standing little windows and some have a combination of these (e.g. Eclipse based stuff) - what and how you want to scale full screen in this case??? It is a mess and is confusing. But this is common problem on all desktop platforms, including Linux, OSX is not exception here.
 
I move back and forth, though these days more Mac than Windows. But just like on Windows, on a Mac:
- You can use Cmd+Tab and rotate through open apps
- Use Cmd+Tilde to rotate through open docs within an app
- You can set defaults (using System Preferences and [Application]-Preferences, similar to Control Panel

If you like a Start menu, you can drag the Applications Folder to the dock. You may need to "unlock" System Preferences, first. You can right-click on the Applications Folder in the dock and set how you want to see the contents, such as Grid, Fan, or List.
- As an aside, I used to use this all the time. Now I Cmd+Space and type a few characters of the app I want to open, then hit return.

Contrary to widely-held belief, Macs have right click, though it's not the default. You can set this in Preferences.

Many things are directly clickable. For example, if you have a document open, you can drag the icon of that doc (at the top of the doc's window) to a printer icon in the doc, to another folder to move it, onto a mail/text message, and so on. If you want to know where this doc actually resides, right click the icon. If you want to change the name, select the file name at the top of the doc's window.

If you think something is lame, or repetitive, or you just plain don't know how to do something, ask the googs. Just start your search inquiry with "Mac OS X". Ex: Mac OS X How do I do something
- I make great use of the Tools options that appear with the results. Click Tools, and select "past year" and this will give you results more relevant to the latest version.
 
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