Best Tool for the Job

OS X's Weak Spot - The Finder

Today I'm not going to mention how my G5 has crashed about 10 times in the last week, or how frustrating that it is that Mac's are so picky about their RAM that if it doesn't come from the mothership it's almost guaranteed to cause kernel panics and everything else to go wrong.

I'm not going to mention how I have to reinstall OS X because I can't boot into the operating system (after trying every tip, trick and hack possible) and how AppleCare couldn't do anything but tell me to plugin my other Mac (what other Mac?) to back everything up in Firewire drive mode then start from a clean slate.

Today I'm going to talk about the Finder, and where I feel it could be improved.

1. Copying Folders over Folders - There should be a way to drop a folder on another folder with the same name and have it add new files and give you the option to replace old files with newer versions. Currently the Finder simply blows the first folder away and replaces it with the folder you are moving.
2. Copying large numbers of files - When copying large numbers of files, if the Finder encounters a file it can't copy it usually just stops copying altogether. This has happened several times after several hours of copying to make backups of fried OS X install today. It wouldn't be so bad if you could just drag the folder over and pick up where you left off, but you can't. See number 1.
3. Downloading Files - If you don't have OS X auto-arrange the icons on your desktop, when files complete downloading they move. It doesn't matter where you put the partially downloaded file icon, it jumps to somewhere else when it's done.
4. Resource Forks - If you're on an all Mac network you may never notice these, if you use your Mac with Windows or Linux you'll notice how every folder your Mac touches gets a couple worthless files dropped in it. There has to be a better way to accomplish what resource forks do.

Great Design

It's been too long since I posted anything about my family. I'd just like to point out that my wife Jenny is extremely creative... There was a contest at one of the blogs she visits to basically make an Elephant out of something soft. This is what she came up with:

It's so simple, yet perfect. One piece of felt folded over that forms an elephant head, complete with large ears and a trunk. Add a whimsical pocket and little white bird and you have something that could probably be made in 20 minutes but that you might not think of if you had the rest of your life. Kudos Jenny.

She also paints...

(a self-portrait)

is a great photographer...

and a better blogger than I. Visit her site here: www.queenthings.com.