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45 Comments
- dawnridge, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11I didn't even know there were 10 file managers for osx. Thanks!
- tagliare, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8I can think of an 11th: Quicksilver
Super fast and intuitive, I barely ever touch the finder anymore. - metaphysical, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8I tried out PathFinder for a while and decided it wasn't worth the extra bloat.
- inkswamp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Well, aren't you elite?
Two of the highest rated apps on the list were freeware, so once you get around to actually reading the article you'll note that your comments are barely relevant. - adellario, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Mayebe he's referring to the extra system resources used, and not the cash?
- Dog_Paddle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Uses $35 of my RAM
Normal Finder only uses about $2 of it - Dog_Paddle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Same. Also the fact that it cost $35
- Mcaruso, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7http://duggmirror.com/apple/10_OS_X_Finder_alternatives_compared_and_reviewed/
- angelp, on 10/22/2007, -0/+3@polyfrolic - I'll never understand people who get so wrapped up in an operating system, like you apparently are. "Mac people don't make you feel at home"....calling people "MacTards". It's just ridiculous and beyond childish.
- angelp, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I'm not sure if a file manager is enough to make me dump an entire operating system. The Finder is only ONE aspect of my daily computing experience.
- polyfrolic, on 10/22/2007, -2/+5There are a few File Managers here. A file manager is not a Finder clone. The term file manager was created on the Amiga platform and did things in 1989 that the incorrectly named "Windows File Manager" can only dream about at a basic UI level.
The listed file managers are very bare bones systems. To state that any one of these File managers are operational file managers is similar to stating Windows 3.11 is as good as OSX. Seriously these things are at the very start of what a file manager should be at first release. There are dozens of improvements that need to be made just to get them up to the most basic spec where I would use them. Something similar to "PowerDesk" on Windows. Though Windows has "DIRECTORY OPUS". The GOD of file managers! If Steve Jobs actually had a brain he would just buy the company and have the programmer work exclusively on an OSX version. The one thing that Apple have that I think is VERY important in a file manager is Applescript/Automator. These things are a close copy of AREXX from the Amiga platform (from 1990). Directory Opus could launch any file/s in any tool from any program as a separate thread on the Amiga with the use of AREXX. Windows has no copy of AREXX, so the Windows version of Directory Opus is hamstrung. Of course a program similar to DOpus or DOpus itself would be fantastic on OSX.
Yes Apple users, I'm sure you are convinced you do not need anything the Amiga had back in its day. If that were true, you wouldn't need your multitasking, you wouldn't need Applescript/Automator, you wouldn't need some of the Apple UI small niceties that were patented by C= but taken without permission by M$ and Apple, you will love multiple screens in Leopard (the Amiga was the FIRST WIMP OS with multiple screens). Even programs like Garageband takes some ideas from software first developed on the Amiga platform. You all have been bagging the platform for decades, but you love the "APPLE Versions" of the tools when Apple finally gets around to "Photocopying" them!
OSX is a stable OS for running large programs, but for file management it is at the bottom of the pile. That is why I have given up on waiting another year for a solution to arrive and I'm jumping ship back to Windows where I don't have control over automation, but I have full control over my files. - inkswamp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3The rumors are out there again that the next revision of OS X will include (at long last) a fully rewritten Finder, one that loses all the legacy code. I'd love to see it, but who knows? It's the only area where Windows still has a significant edge on the Mac, and I can't imagine that Apple doesn't hear about it from their power users. In general, I detest Windows, but I wish like hell the Finder were as fast as the Windows file browser.
- onestep, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Yea, I loved Directory Opus back when it originated on the Amiga. It was one of the few programs that made me switch from Disk Master back then. I am glad they kept it going on the Windows side of things, but I wouldn't mind seeing a Mac version in the least.
- angelp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I use PathFinder and think it's worth every penny. I tried out FileBrowse this weekend and even though it's pretty, I uninstalled it within 30 minutes.
- autoy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I just find it too heavy on resources, the nº1 feature on a file browser should be speed.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Right now, I'm perfectly fine with Finder right now, but there's room for improvement and FileRun looks promising.
- angelp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Yes, because it's much easier to gain a "firm understanding of Unix" than it is to either download freeware or pay a couple of extra bucks for software.
- uownedge, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I've used a few of these before, and some are nifty apps. I absolutely love muCommander (midnight commander rocks). Really though, I wouldn't replace Finder with any of the ones I've tried. Finder covers everything a file manager should, and doesn't get overly flashy or fancy. I expect my file manager to list files in the order of my choosing, allow me to chose the icon size and level of file detail, and preform basic file operations (move, copy, delete). Finder does all of that, and does a good job. It's fast, reliable, and pleasant to look at.
Still, I like playing around with alternate file managers from time to time just for something a bit different.
And if all else fails, there's always the Terminal ;) - WiseWeasel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@ Dominatus: Try sorting by 'kind'. It will group by kind and then list alphabetically. Not sure if folders come before files, but it works...
- picklepete, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3{I hated not being able to use the keyboard to switch between windows quickly. Command+tab lets you switch Apps no problems, and Exposé is fine for non-minimized windows, but coming from a Windows background, I found it frustrating that there was no real Alt+Tab type solution built into the OS.}
I think you were looking for ⌘-` (Apple-grave) - Dominatus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@Wise
That doesn't work the way I want it to
1) the folders aren't first
2) The files are grouped by type. I don't want that. I want the folders in alphabetical order first, followed by the files in alphabetical order, not by type, after the folders. - Dominatus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Can you arrange the contents of a folder alphabetically with folders before files?
Yeah, Finder needs some work. It's my least favorite part about OS X - Kazrog, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'm an Amiga and DOpus fanatic, but honestly, pane view in the Finder does a good job for me most of the time. Mac OS X performs a lot more like an Amiga than Windows ever has, and it's the logical platform of choice for me. I finally have a home in OS X, where I felt homeless after the Amiga's demise until OS X Public Beta.
XFolders looks killer though, very DOpus-like. Downloading now... - nofxjunkee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2The Mac GUI is pretty powerful. I have an Applescript that renames files using a regex. Sure it just asks for the regex and replacement and then passes the work to a shell script, but the point is that you can _leverage the shell from the GUI_. So you take 10 screenshots, put them in a folder and then rename them to "something-descriptive-XX" while preserving all the numbering.
TextMate is another app that uses the power of the shell to it's advantage. - orph3us, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1For everyone that complains about a lack of specific window alt tab switcher and dont like to use expose exclusively, there is an app that I use quite frequently called Witch. It's written by Peter Maurer and available from http://www.petermaurer.de/nasi.php?section=witch ... You can bind it to any set of keys (i have on option tab to cycle through all windows, open and minimized). Works great for me, give it a shot!
Edit: oops I didn't see your submission whiskey, same topic :P - Jammypac, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah, I can't even imagine life without PathFinder right now. The tabbed views, drop stack and beefy preview mode are worth the price of admission alone. I really like the process window, too!
- diecastbeatdown, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6Finder = POS.
i tried disk order before but thought it lacked quite a bit. muCommander looks great, reminds me a lot of norton commander. by far the best replacement file management util in windows is Total Commander.
thankfully with linux and os x file management can be handled in the commandline qith real authority. but a nice gui can be relaxing at times. =) - waterhead37, on 10/24/2007, -2/+2Directory Opus is great - just too bad you need Windows to use it!
- whiskeyclone, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1There are a few things missing from OS X that annoy me, but thankfully there are plenty of solutions out there to cater to my needs.
I hated not being able to use the keyboard to switch between windows quickly. Command+tab lets you switch Apps no problems, and Exposé is fine for non-minimized windows, but coming from a Windows background, I found it frustrating that there was no real Alt+Tab type solution built into the OS. Found a simple solution that removed that niggle, called Witch [http://www.petermaurer.de/nasi.php?section=witch] and bound it to Alt+Tab on my mac.
I searched that site some more, and found The Butler [http://www.petermaurer.de/nasi.php?section=butler&id=butlerabout] - I use it mainly as a launcher but have toyed around with its other features. It's pretty slick really, and keeps me out of Finder for launching Apps not on my Dock. I bind it to Ctrl+Alt+Del because I, in some strange way, I miss hitting that combo. If I need to find a file, I'll generally use Spotlight rather than wade through the Finder.
These two solutions have totally changed the way I use OS X. That's something I really love about OS X - the sense of community. There are so many great *free* solutions out there. The OS is by no means perfect, but it does lend itself well to custom solutions.
Also, I'm shocked at how overlooked things like Apple Script and Automator are. I'm one of the few people I know that actually use these on a day-to-day basis. Anyone else? - tizz66, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1PathFinder is handy when you need to achieve something more complex with your files, and it's very handy for the menubar menu it adds, but I still use finder for simple drag and drop operations. PathFinder is too slow to use as a complete replacement, I think.
- Teaser, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0There's an alternative to Disk Order that's supposed to be out soon. It's called ForkLift. Looks promising. (I bought DiskOrder, but I never received any e-mail replies. Tech support and further development appear to have been halted.)
I mainly use PathFinder. Despite its slower operation time in some instances, I prefer many of the bells and whistles it offers. For instance, I prefer Column View. With the regular Finder, every time I open a new window, the column view width settings are really tiny. I have to take time to either double-click the resize portion of the window or to simply manually drag the column to be wider. PathFinder remembers my column width settings. The time I need to adjust the Finder is more than made up for by PathFinder's decent memory for this.
I can also adjust icon and text sizes in my column views, certainly more than what the Apple Finder allows me to do. As I get older, my eyesight is greatly relieved by being able to see things quickly and clearly.
The tabbed windows have also been an excellent alternative to having 27 windows open simultaneously in the regular Finder.
At the least, I think that anyone who's willing to take the time to examine PathFinder will see that it's well thought out and elegant in many ways. I agree, it would be nice to have a lite version, but that's not likely. Of the many Finder alternatives I've tried - and that's been all of them, several times over - I eventually settled on PathFinder. It's not perfect, but it beats the competition by a long shot. - pemdoc, on 10/09/2009, -0/+0I like the review of 10 different finder alternatives.
However it is missing one important finder alternative "forklift"
I am running the demo version - it is one of the most complete and powerful browser alternative I have seen.
It is a file browser with built in FTP, Sync and App delete. - tobyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Every update, every convention, every ADC mail I receive, I hope and pray the Finder will be replaced or rewritten.
At WWDC this year, I actually felt kind of depressed when I learned that it's the same old Finder in Leopard. Painful.
But, Path Finder is still bloatware, IMO. I wish they'd create a lightweight version that ONLY did what the Finder does, but faster. - Cr4zyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I for one am waiting patiently for FileRun. It looks to have some great features, but still keeps the design of Finder intact. In other words, doesn't confuse me as much as PathFinder. Details here:http://filerun.info/
- bartel, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0X11++
- captainchris, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1after seeing these alternatives, the finder looks pretty sweet, leopard is going to revolutionize everything though :3
- polyfrolic, on 10/22/2007, -5/+1Mac people are the ones that don't make me feel at home. I am more at home with Windows people. Windows people also see a possibility in a new suggestion that comes from anyone as long as its a good idea. Mac people check to see if Apple is already doing it, or to see if you are good friends with some guy called Steve before dumping on you from a great height because you are not an Apple insider. Your only scum.
It has worked the same for artwork. Windows, you seldom get exposure because of the mass of people, but Mac users spitefully twist the knife if you want exposure. Now I was very well published in Magazines like Amiga Format, CU Amiga, Amiga Downunder and Shareworld... The Amiga had tons of unwashed masses, but after a while you could get noticed for your work. - catmistake, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1They missed my favorite Finder alternative.
You can access it from the login screen (if no one is logged in) by typing
>console - illinst1, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2FAR Manager for windows is the most useful application i've ever installed, and i've been trying to find something equivelant for the mac... here's hoping one of these might be as good!
- polyfrolic, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1Well it is great enough for me to dump OSX becaues the Mac fanatics just dont get it and blindly follow Apples finder path, even though it is a short path that leads nowhere.
- kodek, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1"Also the fact that it cost $35"
Wouldn't that be the worth the parent is talking about? - polyfrolic, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1The first digg down... I expect many more of the MacTards to do the same. Well if you EVER want Apple to have more than 7% of the world OS market you all are going to have to wake up to yourselves and realiase that the rest of the world NEEDS things you just aren't offering on OSX!
- hadak, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1they all pretty much suck. i wouldn't pay for these apps... why do you need them? with a firm understanding of unix, and the app quicksilver, you can navigate your filesystem quickly and efficiently.
- polyfrolic, on 10/12/2007, -10/+1EXACTLY! You gits that dugg down this guy are clueless morons! Sorry if this sounds like an insult, but I am stating the TRUTH!
I am currently setting up a system of machines to switch from OSX because there is noting as powerful as a machine set up with something like DOpus.
Read more if you want further down the comments. I have some specific comments to make in my own thread. - DarioInsane, on 10/12/2007, -12/+2Number 1 reason for sticking with windoze: Directory Opus.
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