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0157988944 · Nov 7, 2007, 06:23 PM

not again....

in early builds you could select any group of random files, drag them to the dock, and they became a stack. not sure why that was pulled out.

dru · Nov 8, 2007, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by adamfishercox

in early builds you could select any group of random files, drag them to the dock, and they became a stack. not sure why that was pulled out.

they pulled that?

0157988944 · Nov 8, 2007, 04:07 PM

Yup... and for no reason other than "after careful deliberation." Like how could that be a bad feature?

Kevin · Nov 8, 2007, 05:38 PM

"after careful deliberation." = After Steve said "eww no, I don't like that"

Horsepoo!!! · Nov 8, 2007, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by dru

they pulled that?

Not only did they pull that excellent feature, they pulled the one where clicking in a folder within the stack would simply open that folder as a stack.

Kevin · Nov 9, 2007, 03:26 AM

Originally Posted by Horsepoo!!!

Not only did they pull that excellent feature, they pulled the one where clicking in a folder within the stack would simply open that folder as a stack.

Now that was a bad move.

voodoo · Nov 9, 2007, 03:34 AM

Originally Posted by Horsepoo!!!

Not only did they pull that excellent feature, they pulled the one where clicking in a folder within the stack would simply open that folder as a stack.

Apple had good reasons for pulling that feature, so you wouldn't use stacks wrong. We wouldn't want that!

V

Pierre B. · Nov 9, 2007, 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by OliverTwist

It would be nicer if they added a vertical scroll bar to the Grid view so you could fit ALL contents in the stack.

What do you mean? There is no scroll bar if/when needed and so you cannot ALWAYS SEE ALL THE CONTENTS?

Pierre B. · Nov 9, 2007, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by adamfishercox

not again....

in early builds you could select any group of random files, drag them to the dock, and they became a stack. not sure why that was pulled out.

Hmm, now we know one of the 300 or so new features of El Gato 10.6.

Horsepoo!!! · Nov 9, 2007, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by voodoo

Apple had good reasons for pulling that feature, so you wouldn't use stacks wrong. We wouldn't want that!

V

Hehe.

I know that was a tongue-in-cheek statement in response to my comments about Front Row's usage. But in a sense, it's true...the Dock is for often used application and often used documents and Stacks are meant to group a number of often used documents.

People using the Dock as an alternative to the Applications folder by putting all their applications in the Dock are asking for trouble. If they like having a Dock full of tiny icons, that's fine, but if they don't, they don't have a valid right to complain. The same is true about Stacks. If they're used as an alternative to navigating the HD with the Finder, you might be using it wrong. People complain about this now because they used to be able to do this because of the flexibility of hierarchical menus and now they can't...but the Dock was never meant to act as a full-fledged file system browser (even though it could before Leopard).

Like any concept, you have to remain within reasonable context limits. You can't have 100 windows open and use Exposé...you'll choke the system. You can't have 100 tabs open in Safari...they won't all display. You can't have 100 apps in your Dock...you'll need to turn on magnification and spend some time looking for a specific app. And, you can't have too many items in a Stack.

Horsepoo!!! · Nov 9, 2007, 08:20 AM

Originally Posted by Pierre B.

What do you mean? There is no scroll bar if/when needed and so you cannot ALWAYS SEE ALL THE CONTENTS?

Nope...when a Stack exceeds a certain number of items, there is an option to view the remaining items that aren't shown in the Finder.

mjankor · Nov 9, 2007, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by Horsepoo!!!

Hehe.

I know that was a tongue-in-cheek statement in response to my comments about Front Row's usage. But in a sense, it's true...the Dock is for often used application and often used documents and Stacks are meant to group a number of often used documents.

People using the Dock as an alternative to the Applications folder by putting all their applications in the Dock are asking for trouble. If they like having a Dock full of tiny icons, that's fine, but if they don't, they don't have a valid right to complain. The same is true about Stacks. If they're used as an alternative to navigating the HD with the Finder, you might be using it wrong. People complain about this now because they used to be able to do this because of the flexibility of hierarchical menus and now they can't...but the Dock was never meant to act as a full-fledged file system browser (even though it could before Leopard).

Like any concept, you have to remain within reasonable context limits. You can't have 100 windows open and use Exposé...you'll choke the system. You can't have 100 tabs open in Safari...they won't all display. You can't have 100 apps in your Dock...you'll need to turn on magnification and spend some time looking for a specific app. And, you can't have too many items in a Stack.

Ergo, stacks should not be made from folders, especially the Applications folder.

Horsepoo!!! · Nov 9, 2007, 09:25 AM

Originally Posted by mjankor

Ergo, stacks should not be made from folders, especially the Applications folder.

Yes...in a sense. Which is why I question the reason why the feature to select a bunch of documents and/or applications to create a Stack in the Dock was removed and why Apple decided to put the Documents folder in the Dock as a default Stack. Apple is doing itself a huge injustice by making users think they should put folders full of files in the Dock...because Stacks can't handle a lot of files.

Apple should either revert back to hierarchical menus or allow folders in the Dock as hierarchical menus and Stacks as a small selection of a number of documents and/or apps.

Simon · Nov 9, 2007, 09:29 AM

Stacks -> Piles
Dock Stacks -> Dock Folders

Problem solved.

OreoCookie · Nov 9, 2007, 10:06 AM

I like stacks, I keep my current TextMate projects in one stack in the Dock, much cleaner than before. Plus, I love I can discern the content of downloaded pdfs from the stack already.

I know that the implementation of stacks has some flaws, but the concept is ingenious. I wish they'd give you both options, though: docked folders and docked stacks.

0157988944 · Nov 9, 2007, 04:17 PM

Stacks should be used for groups of documents, apps, or other single-click things. When they forced a folder as the only way to make a stack, they said goodbye to a little more usability just because of the fact that most folders have folders inside, and that not many people will make a new folder just so that they can have a custom stack.

Horsepoo!!! · Nov 9, 2007, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by adamfishercox

Stacks should be used for groups of documents, apps, or other single-click things. When they forced a folder as the only way to make a stack, they said goodbye to a little more usability just because of the fact that most folders have folders inside, and that not many people will make a new folder just so that they can have a custom stack.

Exactly...this whole folder-to-make-a-stack idea is kinda retarded. I don't know why Apple changed this. In fact, I remember in the WWDC build being able to select a bunch of files and putting them as a stack in the Dock...and a couple builds later, trying to do the same and it would put the apps in the apps section of the Dock and the documents in the documents/stacks section of the Dock. I scratched my head for awhile wondering what I was doing wrong. Then I realized that the Stacks implementation had changed for the worse.