Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > macOS > Stacks usability

Stacks usability (Page 7)
Thread Tools
silver
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Bunch Of Islands in The Pacific
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 04:59 AM
 
I cant remember the build number(9A499, 9A500n, 9A527/9A528a, or 9A559) but an earlier build of Leopard allowed you to click on a folder in grid mode and drill down, while still in grid mode.

Meaning if I had my Applications folder in stacks, then clicked on it to open grid mode(haven't tried it in fan mode), while in grid mode I could click on the utilities folder and it would open not a new finder window but open in grid mode. Hope that makes sense.

I wish Apple left that feature in.


silver
( Last edited by silver; Nov 1, 2007 at 05:19 AM. )
 MBP 17" 2.16ghz, ATI x1600 256, 100GBHD, 2GB ram, 23"AppleLCD
     
ShotgunEd
Mac Elite
Join Date: Nov 2001
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 06:21 AM
 
Originally Posted by MartiNZ View Post
Interesting! That's cool, but doesn't work in 'fan' mode hmmm. Using cursor keys to move through the fan does 'hilte' the items though .
Yeah, even just a highlight like that in fan mode would be very useful.

On another note, at some point yesterday my stacks stopped working properly, icons weren't showing up and only the background of the text labels were visible. The dock had also turned very reflective with no S curve.

I hadn't been messing about with the dock png replacements as I quite like the dock but this was a very weird glitch. Killing the dock via terminal didn't help. A reboot sorted it in the end.
     
stoneage
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: In your blind spot.
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 10:01 AM
 
I dislike Stacks (I use Quicksilver), but I was a little rash in tossing all the new folders off the Dock. I would like to take another look, but I don't know how to get those icons back next to the Trash. Any solutions for the Knee jerk types like me.
W....liar or idiot? Pick two.
     
.Neo
Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Amsterdam, NL
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 10:06 AM
 
Originally Posted by stoneage View Post
I dislike Stacks (I use Quicksilver), but I was a little rash in tossing all the new folders off the Dock. I would like to take another look, but I don't know how to get those icons back next to the Trash. Any solutions for the Knee jerk types like me.
Just drag the folder of your choice in the Dock? The default ones are Documents and Downloads.
     
jasonsRX7
Mac Elite
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: North Carolina
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 10:09 AM
 
Originally Posted by .Neo View Post
Just drag the folder of your choice in the Dock?
Apparently, very few people know how to do this. That's why they're so impressed by stacks and the download folder. They didn't realize all this time that you could create a new folder, call it downloads, and have Safari save them there.
     
.Neo
Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Amsterdam, NL
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 10:11 AM
 
Originally Posted by jasonsRX7 View Post
Apparently, very few people know how to do this. That's why they're so impressed by stacks and the download folder. They didn't realize all this time that you could create a new folder, call it downloads, and have Safari save them there.
Luckily Apple put two PDF files explaining the feature in both Documents and Downloads.

And why would I want to create another Downloads folder if Mac OS X Leopard already has one by default?
     
ShotgunEd
Mac Elite
Join Date: Nov 2001
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 11:27 AM
 
Originally Posted by .Neo View Post
Luckily Apple put two PDF files explaining the feature in both Documents and Downloads.

And why would I want to create another Downloads folder if Mac OS X Leopard already has one by default?
I think the point is that you could create your own downloads folder in ~/ in previous versions of OSX. In fact this is always the first thing I did on a new machine, Apple just count it as one their 300+ features now.
     
Jasoco
Mac Elite
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Home in front of my computer
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 12:44 PM
 
I just used the Desktop back then. My desktop would get full of files which would be moved into a folder on the desktop eventually then later into another folder in Documents until I got around to sorting through it.

Now it all just goes into Downloads, a Stack shows the most recent 8 files with the newest on the front. And I sort them within the Downloads folder as well. I am much happier with this method now. I love Stacks because of this. It does exactly what I've wanted to do for a long time. Sure, they could use more options, especially since I only find the one Downloads folder useful, everything else just looks odd, but for now it's great.
     
jasonsRX7
Mac Elite
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: North Carolina
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 01:19 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jasoco View Post
I just used the Desktop back then. My desktop would get full of files which would be moved into a folder on the desktop eventually then later into another folder in Documents until I got around to sorting through it.
You could have done that years ago. Just create a folder (maybe some people don't know how to create and name folders?) and set application's preferences to save their files there.

Still, I prefer my downloads to go to the desktop, so that they are visually in front of me, and I can sort them right away. Rather than being out of site, out of mind, and letting them clutter up a directory.

Another one of those instances where it seems to be designed for people who don't organize their stuff. Not that there's anything wrong with using a downloads folder, but it certainly isn't a new "feature" or anything.
     
schalliol
Mac Elite
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Carmel, IN, USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 01:55 PM
 
I see no problem with stacks, and I think it's great. All they have to do is turn on the ability to right click or click and hold and have the old menu. This is the quickest way I know to navigate a few levels in the finder.
iMac Late '15 5K 27" 4.0 Quad i7 24/512GB SSD OWC ThunderDock 2 Blu-Ray ±RW MBP '14 Retina 15" 2.6 16/1TB iPhone 7+ 128 Jet Black iPad Pro 128 + Cellular

FOR SALE: MP '06 Yosemite 8x3.0 24/240GB SSD RAID 0, 240GB SSD, 1.5TB HDD RAID 0, 1TB HDD, Blu-Ray±RW, Radeon HD 5770
     
jasonsRX7
Mac Elite
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: North Carolina
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 02:04 PM
 
Originally Posted by schalliol View Post
I see no problem with stacks, and I think it's great. All they have to do is turn on the ability to right click or click and hold and have the old menu. This is the quickest way I know to navigate a few levels in the finder.
That would be perfect. Stacks would be OK by me if they hadn't come at the expense of regular dock folders. The preview icon needs to go, though, and fanned stacks should have some kind of background to mask whatever is behind them.
     
.Neo
Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Amsterdam, NL
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 02:08 PM
 
Originally Posted by ShotgunEd View Post
I think the point is that you could create your own downloads folder in ~/ in previous versions of OSX.
Did anyone here said otherwise?
     
Geobunny
Mac Elite
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 03:14 PM
 
Originally Posted by .Neo View Post
Did anyone here said otherwise?
Slightly OT but have you actually tried deleting that downloads folder? What are you supposed to do if that's not where you want to keep your downloads? I could futz around in terminal but still...
ClamXav - the free virus scanner for Mac OS X | Geobunny learns to fly
     
MartiNZ
Senior User
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Auckland, NZ
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 03:22 PM
 
Yeah, I used to create a ~/Downloads folder pretty quickly on every install - used to give it the package with down arrow icon of 'Package Maker' in the dev tools.

That's another thing that annoys me about the downloads stack now. I mean it is nice having the bouncing notification that a download has finished (the ONLY bouncing I tolerate in the dock, not disabled with the no-bouncing .plist option even).

But what I want to do then, almost without exception, is open the downloads folder - not open whatever file had downloaded. Don't ask why, it's a pedantic thing, but whatever the reason, stacks eats that functionality unless I use the down arrow with it (in fan view) to quickly get to "Open in Finder".

-- actually just realised grid view works better for that functionality , but I would like to be able to move it in fan view.
     
ginoledesma
Mac Elite
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 03:24 PM
 
Originally Posted by Geobunny View Post
Slightly OT but have you actually tried deleting that downloads folder? What are you supposed to do if that's not where you want to keep your downloads? I could futz around in terminal but still...
There was quite a lively thread about that. :-)
     
.Neo
Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Amsterdam, NL
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 03:36 PM
 
Originally Posted by Geobunny View Post
Slightly OT but have you actually tried deleting that downloads folder? What are you supposed to do if that's not where you want to keep your downloads? I could futz around in terminal but still...
What are you talking about? Someone asked how he could restore the Downloads and Documents stacks after dragging them out of the Dock. That's it. There was no debate about whether it's possible to create a new folder and name it "Downloads", or about deleting the actual Downloads folder located in ~/.
     
Geobunny
Mac Elite
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 1, 2007, 05:13 PM
 
Originally Posted by .Neo View Post
What are you talking about? Someone asked how he could restore the Downloads and Documents stacks after dragging them out of the Dock. That's it. There was no debate about whether it's possible to create a new folder and name it "Downloads", or about deleting the actual Downloads folder located in ~/.
Sorry, I was skim-reading and misinterpreted what was said.
ClamXav - the free virus scanner for Mac OS X | Geobunny learns to fly
     
booboo
Mac Elite
Join Date: Oct 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 7, 2007, 09:32 PM
 
All these people defending Stacks - that's fine, you obviously don't realise what functionality has been removed, so impressed are you that downloads can be saved to a folder.

For those that are saying, 'Well, Apple wants to move away from a file hierarchy structure' - then Leopard's Dock's spring-loaded folders are a major contradiction, especially as you've presumably no idea where they're a-springing to - given that you haven't a clue about your directory structure, and Leopard's Dock's removal of hierarchical menus has denied you the opportunity of learning.

Bring back Tiger's Dock - but with Spring-loaded folders. . .. !
Mac Pro 2.66, 2GB RAM | 4 x 250 GB HD's | MOTO 424e/2408-II
     
Kevin
Baninated
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: In yer threads
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 7, 2007, 09:34 PM
 
booboo or they could give you an option to turn stacks on or off for each folder. That would make everyone happy.

I LOVE stacks for certain things, and hate it for others.
     
Holy Zoo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Santa Cruz, California
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 8, 2007, 09:33 AM
 
Originally Posted by nat View Post
For years I've used two alias folders in the Dock plus I dragged the hard drive onto it so I could right click to anywhere, but now they're all useless in Leopard.

So, after a few years of not using it (I still have a license I believe), there's only one solution for me:

Dragthing
+1.

I had the exact same though on Saturday, and re-activated my license (hadn't used in probably 7 years!). It's really improved since the days of old - indeed, it's gorgeous.

I've created a "just folders" doc on the right - the hierarchical view is fantastic, with preview built in.

On the bottom I have a doc for "Apps and Documents".

Here's a couple screenshots. Click the image (not the "enlarge text") to see the big view.



2.2ghz 15" Macbook Pro, 4gig mem, 160gig 5400rpm hd, Leopard 10.5
     
 
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:28 AM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,