Hi,

I find the documents folder display in MAC to be cramped for a writer's purposes. Is there an app to get it to display more like PC -- broader and sizable --I work in many different formats and really could use the visibility

Thanks !!!

What do you prefer? On OS X, Windows, Linux, BSD, etc., all folders can be resized as large as the display permits. On all systems, there are options for icon size, icon text, etc. What are you trying to do that you cannot do?

Ok. In MAC you are confined to a vertical display. So if you have say 20 folders and 20 documents they will bleed off the screen and you can't see them all.

PC allows you to resize the window horozontally -- create another column so you could see 20 folders in one column and 20 docs in the next.

I'm talking windows 2008 for MAC basically.

I assume that you mean Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac. What you see within Microsoft Office is wholly dependent on the application itself. In the OS X Finder, you can choose column view (see graphic) to achieve something like what you describe. You CAN extend it beyond the display boundaries, but that is easily adjusted with a single click/drag of the mouse. I don't use Office, so I can't say if there is a better way from within the application.

Basically there is no "list view" but a "details view" in Windows-speak. I'd just suggest using a folder hierarchy to keep the number of items down, or use Spotlight to reduce whats shown or perhaps make a smart folder.

this is what I thought at first but i think he's actually referring to list view in windows

not my image!

you used be able to view like this under panther for sure (ie scrolling sideways rather than up and down) but i cant see a way to do it in 10.5/6
which is kind of annoying

Thanks all,

Iggy you nailed it. I can't seem to manage to get anyone to understand that. I mean why the heck not let us display things the way that makes the most sense to US.

Curious how Spotlight works in this regard. Not even sure (being new) what it is to begin with.
Yes I can and have compressed all my documents into folders -- but it's cumbersome.

I'm only thinking of organization. If you have a hundred files the lack of list view list view does become a problem. If you have a thousand files even list view won't save you.

For instance, here is a folder within the CD image I create for my class this fall. 406 items. A bit unwieldy.

Lets say I want to look at HTML files I created since last year. I put HTML in the Spotlight window and then click "FIle Name". That reduces it to 132 items, still too big!

Then I add a new search term (+ button) and have it match the files created in the past year.

Aha! There are now only two files to look at. There are lots of possible search terms, so you can really narrow things down. If I need to do it frequently, I can click on Save and i† will create a Smart Folder so I can retrieve the current set of matching files at will. Even add it to the Finder side bar. And QuickView lets me instantly check a file before opening it with an editor or taking other action. Of course you can also use Cover Flow.

Let me add that the field where I can select "This Mac" "Text" or "Shared" -- Text in this case is the name of the folder where I started my search. It will match in that folder and all subfolders. If I click on "This Mac" it will search my entire machine. I've got 406,000 files in my account and searching is basically instantaneous. If I chick on "Shared" it will search computers in my network, in particular my Mac mini server. That's fast too. I don't know how many files are there. I can find what I want instantly. On my PC at work I dread having to find anything.

MANY MANY THANKS,

The spotlight tutorial is great. A lot to digest. I may get back when I'm done chewing.
Problem is: I have more like 80 active/semi-active files that I'd like to display like PC. (i.e. ala Iggy's screenshot)
Why is MAC so controlling? Give me some air is all I ask.

I don't remember this under 10.3, but I will hazard a guess that it is more difficult to implement for languages that read right to left. All languages that I know of read from top to bottom, so scrolling up and down should be intuitive. It would be interesting to see how the Windows "list view" works for right to left languages.

I never used that view in Windows so I don't miss it in OSX.

Maybe you would like to take a look at the demo of this replacement and see if it fits your needs.

http://www.mupromo.com/deal/1293/7024/macintosh-explorer

I got it! haha


all you need to do is right click in the window, click on 'Show View Options' then the key change is to change 'Label Position' from bottom, to right, change the icon size to one that suits, exit out of view options. then right click, arrange by name and you should be good to go.

And Michael, this must be the setup I had back in 10.3 that I remember.

*edited for smaller screenshot. oops*

Well done Iggy,
that makes icon view useful, at last.

matty