[plainfun]

I was just at the local computer shop looking at the new Imacs. I tried clicking on the hard disk, but it wouldn't open. Then I tried another folder and had the same problem. I called over the shop attendant to see if there was some trick about using the new mouse. He tried a number of times, but the best he could do was to get a box to pop up in which one of the options was "open". When he tried it on a Macbook, he had the same problem. He told me, "You no longer have the option of double clicking a folder on the new Macs. Opening a folder is now a two-step process--bring up the box, and then choose 'open' from the list of options." I seriously doubt he's was right about that--it would be a deal spoiler for me. I'd never, ever, buy a computer that didn't open files by just clicking them. It would add too much to my workload. Any comments?

[Spheric Harlot]

[Simon]

Spam by troll?

[Love Calm Quiet]

I believe that you're supposed to purchase a Windoze machine and log in remotely to your Mac so that you can double-click to open.

Learned that from a Circuit City techie last year

[turtle777]

Screenshot of the desktop, open in Preview ?

-t

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by plainfun 

I was just at the local computer shop looking at the new Imacs. I tried clicking on the hard disk, but it wouldn't open. Then I tried another folder and had the same problem. I called over the shop attendant to see if there was some trick about using the new mouse. He tried a number of times, but the best he could do was to get a box to pop up in which one of the options was "open". When he tried it on a Macbook, he had the same problem. He told me, "You no longer have the option of double clicking a folder on the new Macs. Opening a folder is now a two-step process--bring up the box, and then choose 'open' from the list of options." I seriously doubt he's was right about that--it would be a deal spoiler for me. I'd never, ever, buy a computer that didn't open files by just clicking them. It would add too much to my workload. Any comments?

Did you try hammer and chisel?

[plainfun]

Aside from derision, which neither of us needs, does anyone out there have anything to offer?

[CharlesS]

Double-click the folder with the left mouse button instead of the right one.

[rjenkinson]

It's the other left button.

[plainfun]

In another forum someone pointed out that the clicking speed preference might have to be reset in 'keyboard and mouse preferences', but that the problem is more likely just that the store mice were low on charge. Clicking gets unreliable or stops altogether when the charge is low.

[besson3c]

So you could move the mouse but couldn't click? How would this be a battery problem?

[EndlessMac]

Originally Posted by plainfun 

In another forum someone pointed out that the clicking speed preference might have to be reset in 'keyboard and mouse preferences', but that the problem is more likely just that the store mice were low on charge. Clicking gets unreliable or stops altogether when the charge is low.

As you said the problem could have been that the double clicking speed was set too high requiring a person to do a very rapid double clicking in order to execute a double click. Are you sure you were clicking on the left side of the mouse? Apple prefers a one button mouse but they at least acknowledge the popularity and customer demands for two buttons by allowing the right side of the mouse to function as the right click if you turn on that feature. It sounds like it was on because you got a dialog box like you would in Windows.

The reason why I'm telling you this is that new Mac users sometimes can become confused about the mouse button being actually two buttons because there are no physical divider lines. What also adds to the confusion is that you can turn off the right clicking feature and make the mouse function as one large button. Since you didn't mentioned anything about right clicking when you were describing your situation in your first post, I assumed you didn't realize this as well. If you try double clicking on the right side of the mouse you will not be able to do a left button double click which opens folders, etc.

For the record I'm not a big fan of Apple's Might Mouses. I prefer my Logitech mouse. If you didn't know you can use any USB mouse on Macs but keep in mind that if your mouse has a lot of additional fancy buttons you might need proper software drivers to get them work. My mouse is a basic optical Logitech two button mouse with scroll wheel so it works without any drivers on every Mac and Windows computer I have used it on. That's probably not an issue if you don't use your mouse on more than one computer.

[iM@k]

[plainfun]

Thanks for all the information. I had already tried right and left clicking. So must have been a clicking speed issue. Went back to the shop yesterday and had no trouble on either mac, so someone must have adjusted it.

Now will just need to worry about the serious screen issues people are reporting with the new 27-inch imacs. Word is it will take weeks for Apple to work them out.

[Big Mac]

I thought you were going to say that you took the hard drive out of the case and peered at the platter with a microscope.

[Eriamjh]

Originally Posted by iM@k 

That scene was a classic.

[tooki]

What is that scene from?

[Cold Warrior]

the movie zoolander

[Judge_Fire]

Selecting an item and then invoking a menu command is the pure and original way: noun -> verb. Theoretically beautiful and solid, but for the oft-used 'Open' it was painfully clumsy in practice. Doubleclick was perhaps the first 'gestural' shortcut?