Battle of the file browsers!

[Insectoid]

Differing opinions have been expressed over the shoutbox about the file browsers of different operating systems (or, the different UIs of the same OS for you Linux users). So I figured I'd make a thread about it. So, why do you prefer the browser you prefer? The one in the shoutbox was Win8' Ribbon. Feel free to discuss OS X, KDE or Gnome browsers as well as other popular or obscure interfaces.

For the purposes of this discussion limit to the default UI. I don't want to see everyone post their own custom interface.

Here's a comparison of OS X's Finder and Win8's Explorer.


I prefer the mac interface myself. There's just so many words and pictures in win8's browser that I don't know where to look. Why all those buttons? This is a file browser, for looking at files. It's not a word processor. I'm not trying to create art here. I'm trying to get from whatever folder I'm in now, to whichever folder I want to get to, as quickly as possible. Macs are (or were...) built for power users. If I'm copy/cut & pasting a file, I cmd/ctrl-c/v. I don't click buttons! But if you're the type to use buttons, most can be found in the edit menu (in the application bar, not the window itself), the 'action' menu, or the right-click menu (YES macs can right-click, and anyone who says otherwise is ignorant). It has its forward & back buttons are right in the corner where you expect them to be. The 'quick look' button I admit is useless. I don't think I've ever 'quick look'ed except to find out what quick look does (not much). The View buttons accurately mimic what each view looks like (they were kind mangled in compression) and are all labelled 'view'.

You can look at a Finder window and within moments you know where the buttons you need are so you can begin working productively right away. The other less-used things become apparent as you work (no 'up' button? The file path is at the bottom of the screen. Click on any level to go there).

Things I would change? I'd drop the quick look button, remove the 'search for' drop-down and customize the 'places' drop-down with my own folders (does anyone actually use the default documents/music/pictures folder in any OS?). Also, you can't see in the screenshot, but the zoom slider goes all the way from really damn small to the entire window fitting a single icon. I'd change this to reasonable zoom levels that people actually use (I often zoom in/out via trackpad and it's SOOOO damn fast! Sure, there's plenty of control at high magnification, but at any size you'd use it's unwieldy to the point of not worth using).


And that is my 'review' of OS X 10.6's Finder. I'll leave Explorer to someone who actually likes it, 'cause I'm really biased and don't trust myself to review it honestly. The other ones too, 'cause I don't know jack shit about 'em.



But yeah, just, post what you like/don't like about your favorite file browser, and we'll argue and debate and it will be great fun. Just don't rage or flame. This isn't Mac vs PC, it's Finder vs Explorer vs Whatever other file browsers people choose to bring up.

[andrew.]

Just a note, in Finder, to go up, you can press "Cmd + Up arrow".

[ProgrammingFun]

IMO, in terms of finger-friendly Finder wins. However, in terms of a desktop with keyboard/mouse, I actually prefer Win7's Explorer.

I agree completely, Microsoft is making Win8 look like over-complicated shit.

[Insectoid]

Quote:

in terms of a desktop with keyboard/mouse

How is this different? I use a mouse with my laptop, on a desk. Keyboard comes attached. It's just a low-power desktop really. When I'm browsing I ditch the mouse almost completely and use the trackpad (which is faster than a mouse when you're typing a lot 'cause it's closer to the keys). This situation doesn't exist for most PC's 'cause most (NOT all) non-Apple trackpads are too shitty/small to actually use. Apple trackpads are so useful, you can get one instead of a mouse with an iMac. If you working on an iMac and you had both the trackpad and mouse, would you still prefer win8's browser?

I'm not trying to start a mac vs pc war here, I'm just trying to invalidate your reasoning, to stimulate discussion

[DemonWasp]

I like Gnome's File Manager (Nautilus): http://files.cyberciti.biz/uploads/faq/2009/01/Gnome_File_Browser.png

I really don't like how the Windows file manager shows you a bunch of extra garbage that maps to various locations scattered about the computer, without ever defining what they're to be used for. "Favourites" is straightforward but totally useless, "Libraries" would be useful if I stored anything under my home directory, etc. The OSX version, for all that it is nicer, commits the same stupid mistake. In GNOME, areas you designate as "Bookmarks" appear in...the Bookmarks menu.

The biggest other problem I have with OSX is that opening the properties for some kinds of files takes an eternity (at least, the few times I've tried this). OSX is also completely braindead about SAMBA shares, but at least it sorta-works.

The reality for me is that I'll probably be using whatever version of Windows is most stable + recent for at least the next 5 years, because I love my videogames far too much to quit.

[ProgrammingFun]

Insectoid @ Tue Aug 30, 2011 1:28 pm wrote:

Quote:

in terms of a desktop with keyboard/mouse

How is this different? I use a mouse with my laptop, on a desk. Keyboard comes attached. It's just a low-power desktop really. When I'm browsing I ditch the mouse almost completely and use the trackpad (which is faster than a mouse when you're typing a lot 'cause it's closer to the keys). This situation doesn't exist for most PC's 'cause most (NOT all) non-Apple trackpads are too shitty/small to actually use. Apple trackpads are so useful, you can get one instead of a mouse with an iMac. If you working on an iMac and you had both the trackpad and mouse, would you still prefer win8's browser?

I'm not trying to start a mac vs pc war here, I'm just trying to invalidate your reasoning, to stimulate discussion

I believe you misunderstood me...you see, Microsoft is adding the Ribbon and Metro UI to Win8 to make it tablet friendly. I was saying that if they two were to run on tablets, I would go with mac but if they were for PCs, I would prefer the Win7 Explorer. As for trackpad vs mouse, I'm more used to a mouse since a) I don't have an Apple trackpad and b) trackpad < mouse for gaming.

DemonWasp wrote:

I like Gnome's File Manager (Nautilus): http://files.cyberciti.biz/uploads/faq/2009/01/Gnome_File_Browser.png

Something like that is probably the best for a tablet version of Windows.

[Insectoid]

Quote:

I love my videogames far too much to quit

Who needs to quit?

Quote:

I really don't like how the Windows file manager shows you a bunch of extra garbage that maps to various locations scattered about the computer, without ever defining what they're to be used for.

I agree. I've got plenty of documents, but my Documents folder is empty. Same with my pictures folder, and my downloads folder, and most of the other default folders. I keep my video and pictures on an external drive unless I need them with me, in which case they're on the desktop (I delete 'em when I don't need 'em). Honestly, just give me root, user, and desktop folders and lemme do the rest.

What would I like to see on the sidebar? An area where I can pin files/folders like my dev folder. Right-click any folder and hit 'pin to Finder' or whatever browser you're using, and poof, it's on the sidebar. Sure, maybe pre-pin 'documents' and 'pictures' for the non-savvy, but allow customization. If nothing is pinned, no sidebar.

[2goto1]

Insectoid @ Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:32 pm wrote:

What would I like to see on the sidebar? An area where I can pin files/folders like my dev folder. Right-click any folder and hit 'pin to Finder' or whatever browser you're using, and poof, it's on the sidebar. Sure, maybe pre-pin 'documents' and 'pictures' for the non-savvy, but allow customization. If nothing is pinned, no sidebar.

The Windows library on the left-hand sidebar allows that. Right click on the "Libraries" node. From the pop-up menu, select New -> Library. Name your library "Dev" or whatever you wish. Your "Dev" library node then appears on the sidebar. Right click your Dev library node and select "Properties" from the pop-up menu. Use the "Add Folder" option to add your dev folders.

[2goto1]

Insectoid @ Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:32 pm wrote:

If nothing is pinned, no sidebar.

You can always get rid of the sidebar: Organize -> Layout -> Uncheck Navigation Pane

[2goto1]

And if you don't use Favourites, just collapse it. Windows Explorer will remember your setting. Same with Libraries, Computer, and Network

[DemonWasp]

Insectoid @ Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:32 pm wrote:

Who needs to quit?

Cute, but my Steam directory is over 400GB, and I don't even have everything installed. That's not to mention the dozens of non-Steam games I've got, most of which are depressingly Windows-only. Let me know when CoD4, Portal, Magicka, SC2, DotA2 et al get ported to Linux, because I can't wait to switch. (No, I'm not switching to OSX; I've had too many terrible experiences trying to use Apple software / hardware).

Insectoid @ Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:32 pm wrote:

...can pin files/folders...

That's pretty much exactly what Nautilus has, except that it happens to pin to a menu. You can also make it show your Bookmarks on the left-hand side by switching from "Places" to "Bookmarks".

[RandomLetters]

Windows. The mac browsers at our school always makes me think that some files are hidden in some obscure category the OS thought was right. A simple xxx/yyy/zzz.doc gives much more peace of mind IMO.

[Tony]

Insectoid @ Tue Aug 30, 2011 11:58 am wrote:

If I'm copy/cut & pasting a file, I cmd/ctrl-c/v. I don't click buttons!

Fun statistic http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/08/crazy-90-percent-of-people-dont-know-how-to-use-ctrl-f/243840/

Quote:

90 percent of the US Internet population does not know [how to use CTRL/Command + F to find a word in a document or web page]. This is on a sample size of thousands

It's a pretty amazing finding... something that most of us don't realize, as we tend to talk about computer things (such as UI design) only with other computer-skilled people. As ugly as the new UI in microsoft's bar is, apparently half of that real-estate covers 84% of what users actually do there. http://seldo.tumblr.com/post/9549775746/this-is-genuinely-microsofts-idea-of-a (though apparently users use the context menu for almost everything anyway)

Point is -- UI is hard

[RandomLetters]

Wait, am I the only one still using Windows XP?

[ProgrammingFun]

RandomLetters @ Tue Aug 30, 2011 3:17 pm wrote:

Wait, am I the only one still using Windows XP?

I have XP on 2/3 computers...