Nov 03
Spaces rocks. It’s going to change the way many people multitask. The one “oddity” those who have played with it have likely found is that selecting the Finder by clicking in the Dock or pressing Alt-Tab will whisk you away to another space with a Finder window already open, assuming there isn’t already one in the current space.Since many find it useful to keep Finder windows pertinent to their enclosing spaces around, we need a good way to create a new Finder window in the current space. There are a few ways to do this:
- A simple solution to this, of course, is to click on the Desktop to focus the Finder, and press Command-N. If you’re like me, however, the Desktop is hidden at least once over, even with Spaces.
- Another option is to Control-Click on the Finder in the Dock and select “New Finder Window.” This is nice as it opens at your preferred default, but it takes two clicks, which is annoying.
- A final alternative, and my personal preference, is to take advantage of the “Reveal in Finder” functionality of the Dock. By Command-Clicking on any application or stack, you will invoke a finder window focused on (but not open at) it.
November 3rd, 2007 at 1:47 pm
after reading all these tricks about spaces and putting some to use i am very much in love with spaces also. id like to share a trick that i use that helps contribute to me being lazy and getting stuff done more efficiently.
adding a function to your logitech mouse:
if you own a logitech mouse the chances are that you can download the logitech control center for mac and configure the buttons on your mouse. i went out and bought a mouse with some buttons ill never use, just so i could configure them. my mouse has a left and right scroll that i never use so i set my left scroll to make the keystroke Option+F10 (which is what i’ve set my spaces switcher hot key) so now i can tap the middle button left and bring up spaces without having to touch my keyboard. so far this is the easiest way for me to switch between apps quickly without ever having to lean forward from my leather executive chair (that is so comfy). alternatively you could set it to popup the application switcher, but imagine how cool people will think you are when youre popping in and out of spaces left and right. they’ll think you’re a computer wonder.
keep up the great tips!
November 3rd, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Chad, that is a really neat way to make use of the logitech software! nice one
November 4th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Another method is to, in your Spaces Application Assignments , set the Finder to ‘All Spaces’. Now your Finder Windows will remain constant as you move from Space to Space.
November 5th, 2007 at 6:04 am
You can always sniff out a “switcher mac” user from a veteran when they use the term “alt” instead of “option”. Welcome to mac.
November 6th, 2007 at 7:47 am
How about some fun with AppleScript + Quicksilver ?
This is what I did on my MacBook:
1. wrote a bunch of tiny AppleScripts like:
tell application “Finder”
activate
make new Finder window to folder “Steve” of folder “Users” of startup disk
end tell
2. Assigned them triggers in Quicksilver
Now Control+Option+H opens my Home, Control+Option+D opens my Documents and so on… no matter what the current space or application is.
How cool is that ?