I use Finder constantly. That said, I use an extension called Default Folder (which I've been using since long before Mac OS X) which not only works around many

I use Finder constantly. That said, I use an extension called Default Folder (which I've been using since long before Mac OS X) which not only works around many of its shortcomings, but is almost impossible to live without. E.g. if you have a Finder window open in the background, when you are in an file dialog you can focus it on that window by clicking on it in the background, it remembers where you were in a given folder (and which folder you were in for each application), and so forth. It also gives you access to most of Finder's functionality from inside file dialogs (which is something I do miss from Windows). I don't find Finder "awful" compared to Windows Explorer — quite the reverse in general. But if you're not used to the Mac's keyboard navigation standards (which have remained largely consistent since 1986 or so (i.e. HFS)) you may not realize it. First -- list view is the best view. Second -- the same keystrokes work in list view and in file dialogs.