[kMikaZu]

I would like to know what exactly the Finder is. Some say it is the system, others say it is just a program. I think it is a window-manager, like Snak or gnome or kde.

What do you guys and girls think?

[Jazzphone]

The Finder is infact a File Manager, Just a gui based way to access your files, and thats just about it. Not much more, the system is Darwin, it uses the Mach Kernel. Gnome, and KDE have File Managers built in but they are also GUIs with tasks bars and a lot more then just the finder is. Snak is a IRC program =\

[Hozie]

It's just a program that lets you browse and rearrange files in the filesystem. There are other utilities that do the same thing. The only diff between them and the finder is that the finder is loaded by default by OS X.

It is definitely not the system itself, though. proof of this is that the finder can have crashed and you'll still be able to SSH your way into the FS... Not sure what you mean by window manager, though... I think that would be quartz.

[Gul Banana]

The Finder is a file browser, like Explorer.
The system is Mac OS X or "Darwin"
Snax is also a file browser
The OS X window manager is "Quartz"

[RooneyX]

It's a file browser that has the worst multi-tasking in the world compared to Windows or Linux. Just managing my site with iDisk over a modem connection is a nightmare. That may also be in part to how slow multi-tasking is in general when using a modem. Trying to get two pages to download at the same time is a nightmare too.

Some will say 'Use DSL' but when you're travelling around to different countries a modem is the only option when there are no DSL hotspots or cafes about.

Come on, Apple. Better multi-tasking and modem connections please.

[thePurpleGiant]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by RooneyX:
Just managing my site with iDisk over a modem connection is a nightmare. That may also be in part to how slow multi-tasking is in general when using a modem.

Have you tried Goliath for you iDisk?

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/11096

Makes using your iDisk a pleasure again! On a modem I get almost the same speed browsing as I do over my local network. Uplodaing files is basically the same speed as FTP.

(and doesn't give me goddamn errors all the time!)

[Cipher13]

All recent incarnations of the Finder have simply been file-managing applications, really.

The OSX Finder is a piece of ****. It should be Apples top priority.

[RooneyX]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by thePurpleGiant:

Originally posted by RooneyX:
Just managing my site with iDisk over a modem connection is a nightmare. That may also be in part to how slow multi-tasking is in general when using a modem.

Have you tried Goliath for you iDisk?

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/11096

Makes using your iDisk a pleasure again!
(and doesn't give me goddamn errors all the time!)

Yeah, I tried Goliath but it was still kinda bad. I have to load up W2K in VPC to browse iDisk decently. But I still get those damn copy errors sometimes. I've been trying for the past 24 hours to upload a small 32k jpeg and can't do it with either Windows or OSX. They should get rid of that webdav nonsense and just give me FTP. I'm really fed up with using iDisk but don't have a choice if I move between ISPs all the time or borrow other people's dial up accounts.

[Anomalous]

Originally posted by RooneyX:
It's a file browser that has the worst multi-tasking in the world compared to Windows or Linux. Just managing my site with iDisk over a modem connection is a nightmare. That may also be in part to how slow multi-tasking is in general when using a modem. Trying to get two pages to download at the same time is a nightmare too.

Some will say 'Use DSL' but when you're travelling around to different countries a modem is the only option when there are no DSL hotspots or cafes about.

Come on, Apple. Better multi-tasking and modem connections please.

Although it could be more multithreaded, I think the Finder already has excellent performance. Browsing through directories is much, MUCH faster than Windows, where it is truly a pain.

[RooneyX]

With XP, Windows Explorer took a giant step backwards and began to look like a toy. But up until Windows 2000 Microsoft had the only decent file manager on the planet (many Unix interfaces were based on Windows versions from 3.1 to Windows 2000). It was much faster and useful than the OSX Finder.

I like the Finder in general use, managing my work. I have Labels X too. But for iDisk and when under heavy multi-tasking or copying large volumes it's a POS. iDisk is POS too though.

OSX is perfect only when you have fast network, PPP connections and fast CPUs and GPUs. It's made for tomorrow's hardware (and current of course) but if you still use modems or G3s and stuff then it kicks you in the teeth.

[Cipher13]

Originally posted by Anomalous:
Although it could be more multithreaded, I think the Finder already has excellent performance. Browsing through directories is much, MUCH faster than Windows, where it is truly a pain.

Are you serious? The Finder is incredibly slow... it's like wading through pitch...

[Superchicken]

You know... how come no third parties have made another file mannager? I mean it sounds like everyone is saying apple's got no excuse for the finder being the way it is but why havn't third parties started to compete with it?

[suthercd]

There are other apps that can replace the Finder.app. Snax was one and has been replaced by Path Finder. With Tinkertool or Cocktail, you can add a Quit to the Finder menu so that you can either use one of the Finder replacements alone or as another app with Finder running.

When you quit Finder, you loose your Desktop capabilities. Files or items on the Desktop cannot be seen- it is a Finder element.

There is an interesting article giving on guys opinion about the Finder posted on Ars Technica by John Siracusa:

http://arstechnica.com/paedia/f/finder/finder-3.html

Pros & Cons discussed- mainly cons.

HTH

Craig

[Coxy]

Windows Explorer is a lot laggier than the Mac OS X Finder, even on supposedly faster hardware.

And yes, the Finder is just an application, not the whole window manager as others have suggested. Even in the Classic Mac OS this was the case - the Finder was just an application that did not need to be running in order to use the computer.

[Powaqqatsi]

The Finder is Evil.

[Mithras]

If you haven't checked it out, PathFinder really deserves a look.

It's a Cocoa Finder replacement with faster code, labels, full previews, in-view text and hex editing, image conversion and export, and more. It really is great.

[Sven G]

BTW, here are more screenshots of some alternative file managers for OS X...

* Path Finder - an enhanced Finder, in Cocoa (see also the post above):



* Macintosh Explorer - essentially, a Mac version of the famous Windows Explorer:



* Worker - a Directory Opus/Midnight Commander clone (available as a Fink package, still only in the unstable tree):



* muCommander - another Midnight Commander clone:



* Nautilus - the GNOME file manager (with a Fink package, still in the unstable tree):



* And, dulcis in fundo, my favourite: Konqueror - the famous KDE file manager and web browser (available in the stable Fink KDE bundle):



(click on the thumbnails for full views).

Of course, the most OS X-like one is Path Finder, at this moment...

[Bobby]

Finder : Mac OS
as
Explorer : Windows


(and thats Explorer, not IExplorer)



Also...


Windows : Mac OS
as
Skate Board : Dodge Diablo

[sandsl]

The Finder does need some improvement but once I tried Path Finder, I knew it would be better to stay with Apple's Finder.

Path Finder doesn't look as nice with that grey box area just below the toolbar. I don't really see any speed improvement compared to the finder. Path Finder is over complicated, it does have some nice features like encryption though.

I'll be sticking with the Finder and hopefully we'll see a huge improvement in Panther.

[leperkuhn]

Originally posted by Cipher13:
All recent incarnations of the Finder have simply been file-managing applications, really.

The OSX Finder is a piece of ****. It should be Apples top priority.

I competely agree. There is so much wrong with the current finder it's not even funny.