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audi51 · May 18, 2006, 04:03 AM

This post came up double, and I can't figure out how to delete the second one....so I'm editing it with these words in its place.

audi51 · May 18, 2006, 04:03 AM

There's this program you can get off of versiontracker called "tiger tamer". There are a lot of options in it like changing the screenshots to jpg, turning off the dashboard, and enabling cutting and pasting. It works (obviously) in tiger. I don't know why everyone is acting so pretentious about this, it's a perfectly reasonable question.

Originally Posted by gotanproject

I am kinda new to the MBP so bare with me please

I am having major problems organizing my files and folders on my external hard drive.

I would like to cut some mp3 files and paste it into a new folder (both all in external drive) but the cut function does not seem to work

The files just get copied over thus I have two same files each on different folders....

How do I freaking cut and paste ???

And also is there some kinda software I can use to organize the files I have a lot easier than using Mac finder??

siMac · May 18, 2006, 05:05 AM

PC users need cut/paste to make up for Windows' poor window management. We have Exposé, the sidebar, spring-loaded folders...

cla · May 19, 2006, 11:59 AM

On copying/cutting/pasting files...

Generally speaking, copy-cut-paste works as a metaphor - be it snippets of code, MS Word paragraphs or files and folders. Renaming these actions to "pick up" and "drop" would perhaps be more pedagogical (since the word "cut" sounds destructive and doesn't imply whether the purpose of cutting was to preserve the selection or remove the selection from its context - "cut away", "cut off"). Anyway, cutting and picking up would in effect still be the same metaphor, as cutting something in the world of computers implies holding on to it afterwards.

Compare the metaphor of cutting and pasting to that of dragging and dropping. It's basically the same thing, except dragging provides a visual cue and demands a drop before further interaction can take place.

There's nothing that states that cutting and pasting files would introduce a higher amount of errors than cutting and pasting text. Although the errors produced could very well cause more serious effects.

So my $0.05 are: cutting and pasting isn't the problem. The clipboard is. The clipboard is a flawed metaphor, as I've never seen a real clipboard that works as a destructive, one-object queue. In real life whenever I put something on a clipboard, I usually look at the clipboard first. If an important file were in my way, I would probably ask myself why...

Cutting and pasting introduces modes. Modes without cues charge working memory, and thus defeats one of the greatest advantages of a graphical user interface.

The bad part is that we get used to taking advantage of these flawed metaphors. For instance, I always work with one thumb on the Apple button, and I sometimes use cut (cmd-x) to delete selections since I'm too lazy to move my hand to the opposite corner of the keyboard.

ccsccs7 · May 27, 2006, 09:52 PM

Considering how close together the "X" and "C" keys are to each other, it's very easy to accidentally "Cut" something. One important thing to remember here, is that with Applications, Undo makes it very easy to reverse a cut in any particular document that is open. The Finder's undo applies to any file operation from any window, leaving a very short period to undo anything (plus, it doesn't support unlimited undo (which could be bad as you wouldn't be able to tell what the undo did, unless the Finder started opening up windows to show any changes).

the_glassman · May 28, 2006, 09:55 PM

I can no longer paste. I can copy just fine, but I get the you can't do that chime/tone when I try to paste. Any ideas?

svtcontour · May 29, 2006, 11:27 PM

Ok so just because 90% of people are losers and cannot grasp technology, others have to suffer for it? All this nonselse about Apple wanting to protect the user BS which is why it doesnt have copy and paste. How about they dont have it and they SHOULD. If I want to MOVE something in real life, I'm taking it from one place to another. I'm not creating a copy of it and then have to go to the original and get rid of it.

Imagine if I had to move a flower pot from one table to another. What apple wants me to do is to clone my flower pot, place it on the other side, then walk back and take it into the trash. Of course now I have a flowerpot in the trash so I have to empty my trash when all I wanted is to pick it up and place it over there. if someone doesnt realize how to work with files and they lose work, its their fault. Learn some file managent.....

What if I spent 5 minutes selecting assorted files in a folder, I copy them and then I have to go back and reselect them for deletion? Spend more time? Even if they remain highlighted, it would take one accidental click to clear everything that was selected. This is just poor. Cut - Paste. Done.

Heck in windows you can cut and paste...and if you made a mistake you can even go to edit and undo the file move.

Chuckit · May 30, 2006, 12:55 AM

Er…no, you can just move it. You don't have to make a copy and then delete the original.

svtcontour · May 30, 2006, 01:53 AM

Ok so here is a video of me moving a folder with about 400 wallpapers (215mb) from my desktop (which resides on the C: drive) to my D: drive, then cutting and pasting it to my E: drive.... I just dont understand why the option of having these functions is a bad thing if its saving me the hassle of going back to delete what I want to move or cut and paste? Heck it even prompts during the move if it encounters read only files so if someone is that paranoid about accidentally moving things, they can set it to read only

Oh also ignore the huge font sizes and screen res. I used my canon A75 to capture the vid so I set it to large fonts at 800x600.... Also ignore the humming in the back. Its my fans in my dual xeon box which are set on high as I was experimenting with temperature controls in the bios. I think its a tad loud so I'll put it back

http://powerthings.com/video/options.mov

CharlesS · May 30, 2006, 01:58 AM

Originally Posted by svtcontour

Imagine if I had to move a flower pot from one table to another. What apple wants me to do is to clone my flower pot, place it on the other side, then walk back and take it into the trash. Of course now I have a flowerpot in the trash so I have to empty my trash when all I wanted is to pick it up and place it over there.

Chances are, if you wanted to move a flower pot from one table to another, you'd just drag it on over there. Hint hint.

Heck in windows you can cut and paste...and if you made a mistake you can even go to edit and undo the file move.

Yes, because Microsoft wants you to do is Scotch tape a flower pot onto a clipboard, and then walk over to the other table with the clipboard with flower pot attached, hoping the Scotch tape doesn't come loose, causing the flower pot to go crashing down toward the ground.

Let's admit it, these analogies don't make all that much sense.

svtcontour · May 30, 2006, 02:07 AM

Originally Posted by CharlesS

Chances are, if you wanted to move a flower pot from one table to another, you'd just drag it on over there. Hint hint.

Yes, because Microsoft wants you to do is Scotch tape a flower pot onto a clipboard, and then walk over to the other table with the clipboard with flower pot attached, hoping the Scotch tape doesn't come loose, causing the flower pot to go crashing down toward the ground.

Let's admit it, these analogies don't make all that much sense.

Umm if I follow your method, then you're assuming the other table is attached since if I 'drag' it from one table to the other and there is a space, then it will come crashing to the ground. Now about the clip board thingy. I dont get what 'crash' you're speaking of when cutting and pasting. You know that nothing is actually 'cut' until its moved to the destination. Its basically an automated copy first then delete. You can unplug the computer from the wall during a move and the worst thing that will happen is that some of the files were moved and the remainder that didnt have a chance to get moved are where they were.... OMG the terror.

Lastly yes the flowerpot analogy was kind of weak. LOL I couldnt think of anything but the flower pot

CharlesS · May 30, 2006, 02:18 AM

Originally Posted by svtcontour

Umm if I follow your method, then you're assuming the other table is attached since if I 'drag' it from one table to the other and there is a space, then it will come crashing to the ground. Now about the clip board thingy. I dont get what 'crash' you're speaking of when cutting and pasting. You know that nothing is actually 'cut' until its moved to the destination. Its basically an automated copy first then delete. You can unplug the computer from the wall during a move and the worst thing that will happen is that some of the files were moved and the remainder that didnt have a chance to get moved are where they were.... OMG the terror.

The point was simply that...

Lastly yes the flowerpot analogy was kind of weak.

Oh, and also that you can just use drag and drop - i.e. no deleting is required.

P.S. Oh, and while a cut may not delete anything immediately in Microsoft's implementation, it could be used to delete in a true cut-and-paste implementation. What Microsoft does is not cut and paste. So basically you have a choice between something very dangerous and something that breaks the metaphor and makes it inconsistent. This is the reason that Apple does neither.