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webraider · Aug 31, 2009, 05:14 PM

Just out of curiosity. Do you like not having the Macintosh HD Icon (and all internal Hard Drive icons) off by default as in Snow Leopard? Will you re-enable yours or leave it off?

In my case I have more than 1 internal and with them off, accessing the others becomes a two step process. In Apple's defense they have finally enable the finder icon to do Spring Loaded Folders. I'm trying to get used to it. I'm an old school mac user so going to Macintosh HD to launch my apps, or whatever was second nature. I know I can turn them on at any time, but It's just weird for me. That said... I'm going to give it a go with them off for a while to see. It used to be a touting feature of the Mac OS that you didn't have to go a place like "My Computer" to access your drives.. everything was spelled out in front of you right there.

I think Apple is moving away from the old ways (which worked fine for me) and into some new ways (which probably work just as good). I'm wondering if they will continue to where nothing really needs to to be on the desktop other than documents. I would like to see when you put in a thumb drive, a stack appears of it. Same as a CD/DVD. If you're not going to put the Drives on the desktop, make it uniform. But at least with removable media (something that needs to be ejected), There should be a quick visual way to do it from the desktop. I Think special visual stack would work. Any takers???

Art Vandelay · Aug 31, 2009, 05:54 PM

Nevermind, remembered wrongly.

Atheist · Aug 31, 2009, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay

Internal hard drives have never been shown on the Desktop of OS X by default since the Public Beta.

huh?

And to answer the OP. I like having my mounted drives (internal/external/network) on the desktop.

Art Vandelay · Aug 31, 2009, 05:59 PM

The OP is right, this is a new default in SL but I'm sure I was correct about Public Beta. The Desktop in Public Beta had no drives by default.

Atheist · Aug 31, 2009, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay

Huh what?

I guess I'm confused. Every fresh installation of OS X I've seen has had "Macintosh HD" on the desktop by default. Isn't that an internal drive?

webraider · Aug 31, 2009, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by Atheist

I guess I'm confused. Every fresh installation of OS X I've seen has had "Macintosh HD" on the desktop by default. Isn't that an internal drive?

Okay.. Here it is. The "Macintosh HD" icons were on in the beta up until a certain point. Then Apple Had them off by default all the way to the final version. In Snow Leopard, the internal Hard Drive Icons are NO LONGER On by Default. You have to turn them on for them to be there. However, CD's DVD's iPod AND EXTERNAL Hard Drives ARE ON. Look at every presentation Apple has done Publicly with either Leopard or Snow Leopard. You will not see the Hard Drives on the desktop. I think Apple likes the minimalist look of it and Windows 7 has also un-cluttered it's desktop. I'm trying it for a week to see if I like it. The truth is you can actually get by without it easier than you think. I just don't know if I like it though. Time will tell. I'm asking what you guys think?

turtle777 · Aug 31, 2009, 06:35 PM

I didn't show HDs on my desktop since 10.1 or 10.2.

I guess I just learned that SL turns it off by default.

-t

- - e r i k - - · Aug 31, 2009, 06:40 PM

How is removing the harddrives from your desktop making it a two step process to launch apps exactly?

If there are no Finder windows open, you just single-click the Finder icon in the dock to bring one up. Much less hassle than having to dig for an often hid icon on the desktop.

Big Mac · Aug 31, 2009, 07:09 PM

eric is right, webraider. You should be relying on docked application folders to launch your applications. I realize that manually navigating through HD windows was how we often launched apps in the classic OS, but that's not what people do in OS X. I stopped showing my HD icons on the desktop years ago, even though I never would have liked doing it back in the classic OS days. Besides, even if you want to navigate to your apps through the Finder, you can just press command-N to open a new Finder window, which is faster than double clicking a hard drive icon with your mouse.

webraider · Aug 31, 2009, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

How is removing the harddrives from your desktop making it a two step process to launch apps exactly?

If there are no Finder windows open, you just single-click the Finder icon in the dock to bring one up. Much less hassle than having to dig for an often hid icon on the desktop.

It's not a two step process to Launch Applications. It's just a two step process to browse them if you are accessing a drive that's not your main drive.
Okay.. Let me be more specific.. I have 4 internal hard drives. If I want to look at any that are not my MAIN BOOTING Hard Drive, When they are on the desktop, I double click the one I want to view and the finder opens already at the root directory of that drive. (That's just 1 step to get there) If it's not on the desktop.. I have to A.. Click the Finder Icon.. then B Select the Drive I want to view. (That's TWO Steps.. as opposed to the one step.) Now if it's my booting drive it's the same regardless because the finder window opens to that drive automatically. (Macintosh HD) Thats' how it's two steps. It's the same if you put in a thumb drive. IF it appears on the desktop, double clicking it takes your to it's directory right away. If you use the Finder icon, it's two steps. You have top open the finder window and then click on the thumb drive's icon.

webraider · Aug 31, 2009, 11:12 PM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

eric is right, webraider. You should be relying on docked application folders to launch your applications. I realize that manually navigating through HD windows was how we often launched apps in the classic OS, but that's not what people do in OS X. I stopped showing my HD icons on the desktop years ago, even though I never would have liked doing it back in the classic OS days. Besides, even if you want to navigate to your apps through the Finder, you can just press command-N to open a new Finder window, which is faster than double clicking a hard drive icon with your mouse.

The problem with doing this is like people using autodialers for phone numbers. If you stop navigating your hard drive, you eventually forget what's on it or where things are kept at. Now that we have Cellphones, if you loose it.. forget trying to dial peoples numbers because we don't know them anymore. One of the best features of the Mac OS is that it's one of the few computer systems that is actually set up to navigate a Hard Drive to launch it's applications. It's always been that way... It's just that Apple has released shortcuts to getting there all along the way. To prove my point.. I know so many windows people who can run programs but if a file is not on their desktop, they have no idea where it is, how to find it or anything. Why? Because they never bother to look at their hard drive. The Mac Hard Drive is so easy to navigate but yet people don't do it. weird.

That said.. I've been using the finder window AND Stacks in Snow Leopard to do just what you say. It's the first time I would actually consider it because not having my internal disks on the desktop because Apple has finally added spring loaded folders to the Finder icon. Before, If I had a file on a desktop, I can drag it straight to the Hard Drive icon and Spring Loaded Folders worked. If they weren't there.. it became a two step process.. Open the finder window.. then Spring Load away. NOW in Snow Leopard, the Finder iCon is Spring Loaded Functional meaning that it just now can replace the HD icon (in My opinion). Spring Loaded folders is something I used heavily and it has always been swift to use from the desktop.

This may not be a big deal to you, but it was part of my workflow for years. I honestly feel that Apple should rewrite the finder further so that when you insert a CD/DVD/External Hard Drive/THumb Drive etc.. that it actually becomes a stack or a special icon on the Dock. Why?? Because it's good to have some visual icon of something that you have to eject without HAVING to open a finder window just to see it. ALSO...The item could be ejected still without opening the finder. This is why I'm using Snow Leopard in default. These other items still appear on the desktop, but it just seems weird to have some of them there and not all of them. I'm just getting used to it I suppose

Big Mac · Aug 31, 2009, 11:28 PM

Then if it's that important to you, just turn on the preference to show all your drives on the desktop and be done with it. Apple didn't take the option out, right? I don't see what the problem is if we're just talking about defaults here that can easily be changed.

CharlesS · Aug 31, 2009, 11:54 PM

Meh. I prefer having the drives on the Desktop, but as long as the setting is there to let me turn it on, I don't really care what the default is.

turtle777 · Sep 1, 2009, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by webraider

The problem with doing this is like people using autodialers for phone numbers. If you stop navigating your hard drive, you eventually forget what's on it or where things are kept at. Now that we have Cellphones, if you loose it.. forget trying to dial peoples numbers because we don't know them anymore.

Meh, it's like arguing that computers make people to forget to write letters, how to use a typewriter, how to use the Yellow PAges etc.

All possibly true, but a fruitless discussion.

-t

voodoo · Sep 4, 2009, 03:38 PM

I always have the HD on the desktop and wouldn't have it any other way.

HOWEVER it is not nearly as useful as it was in OS 9 and earlier. Back then the root of the HD was used extensively. Now, I don't use it so much because of the home folder.

It is stupid, but there you go. Apple has completely ****ed up their knowledge about UI.

Microsoft beats them more often than not these days.

Gankdawg · Sep 4, 2009, 04:48 PM

I never navigate by going through the hard drive directly. I usually start with shift-cmd-c or shift-cmd-a or just hit cmd-space bar, start typing the apps name and hit enter for app launching.

CharlesS · Sep 4, 2009, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by voodoo

I always have the HD on the desktop and wouldn't have it any other way.

HOWEVER it is not nearly as useful as it was in OS 9 and earlier. Back then the root of the HD was used extensively. Now, I don't use it so much because of the home folder.

It is stupid, but there you go. Apple has completely ****ed up their knowledge about UI.

Microsoft beats them more often than not these days.

I don't understand how the second half of that post follows from the first half.

- - e r i k - - · Sep 6, 2009, 07:27 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesS

I don't understand how the second half of that post follows from the first half.

If you know voodoo then you'd at least understand how he thinks. Or rather don't.