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OSX Finder is horrible. Classic MacOS Finder was far better - but still had open/save dialogs. RiscOS had it right - the Open dialog didn't exist - you would

OSX Finder is horrible. Classic MacOS Finder was far better - but still had open/save dialogs. RiscOS had it right - the Open dialog didn't exist - you would open the folder and double-click the file. And the Save dialog didn't exist - the document would reduce to an icon which you would then place into the correct folder. (You can sort of do this on the various versions of macOS by dragging the icon from the title bar but it's inconsistent)

ubermonkey 9y ago
What do you find horrible? I prefer it by a wide margin over Windows Explorer.
- rahoulb 9y ago
  I prefer it over Windows Explorer. I prefer the Classic Mac Finder to both. This article from 2003 lists the problems with the OSX Finder. Since it was written, it's only got worse. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2003/04/finder/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2003/04/finder/
smashingfiasco 9y ago
You could always replace your usage of the modern macOS Finder with my poor and very incomplete clone of the classic Mac Finder. :) https://classicmacfinder.com https://classicmacfinder.com
- rahoulb 9y ago
  Amazing
- kmill 9y ago
  A few years ago, I actually searched around for an implementation of the classic finder, so this is very amusing for me to see actually implemented! What I was interested in back then was the idea that there was a direct correspondence between the folder window and the data structure on the hard disk, and that to the user these concepts should be indistinguishable. One part of the illusion is that a folder always appears in the same place with the same window size, to give the sense that the folder is a tangible thing with permanence.
  - rahoulb 9y ago
    I also used to love the fact that the equivalent of kernel extensions (totally forgotten the name) could be disabled by moving them to a different folder. The file system IS the computer.
    - smashingfiasco 9y ago
      Agreed! I think that this behavior may have been one of the truly novel principles of classic Mac OS. IIRC, you even used to be able to just swap the System folder around and have like a completely new/different install of Mac OS.
  - smashingfiasco 9y ago
    Glad you're enjoying it! It's got a loooonnggg way to go (I never realized how many small but vital details are in a file explorer application), but it's strangely exciting to see it draw itself on modern macOS, especially on a retina screen! And yes, the spatial UX! I'm still working through getting all of that implemented (I just completed persisting window locations/positioning days ago). I have recently been reading theough some of John Siracusa's turn of the Mac OS X era writings and that's been hugely insightful and helpful. The level of detail (both of the original Finder and his writings) is impressive and sirprising. Very cool UX concepts!

ubermonkey 9y ago

What do you find horrible? I prefer it by a wide margin over Windows Explorer.

rahoulb 9y ago
I prefer it over Windows Explorer. I prefer the Classic Mac Finder to both. This article from 2003 lists the problems with the OSX Finder. Since it was written, it's only got worse. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2003/04/finder/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2003/04/finder/

smashingfiasco 9y ago

You could always replace your usage of the modern macOS Finder with my poor and very incomplete clone of the classic Mac Finder. :) https://classicmacfinder.com https://classicmacfinder.com

rahoulb 9y ago
Amazing
kmill 9y ago
A few years ago, I actually searched around for an implementation of the classic finder, so this is very amusing for me to see actually implemented! What I was interested in back then was the idea that there was a direct correspondence between the folder window and the data structure on the hard disk, and that to the user these concepts should be indistinguishable. One part of the illusion is that a folder always appears in the same place with the same window size, to give the sense that the folder is a tangible thing with permanence.
- rahoulb 9y ago
  I also used to love the fact that the equivalent of kernel extensions (totally forgotten the name) could be disabled by moving them to a different folder. The file system IS the computer.
  - smashingfiasco 9y ago
    Agreed! I think that this behavior may have been one of the truly novel principles of classic Mac OS. IIRC, you even used to be able to just swap the System folder around and have like a completely new/different install of Mac OS.
- smashingfiasco 9y ago
  Glad you're enjoying it! It's got a loooonnggg way to go (I never realized how many small but vital details are in a file explorer application), but it's strangely exciting to see it draw itself on modern macOS, especially on a retina screen! And yes, the spatial UX! I'm still working through getting all of that implemented (I just completed persisting window locations/positioning days ago). I have recently been reading theough some of John Siracusa's turn of the Mac OS X era writings and that's been hugely insightful and helpful. The level of detail (both of the original Finder and his writings) is impressive and sirprising. Very cool UX concepts!