Windows Explorer vs Mac OS X Finder

[gxsaurav]

Well, this was coming from many days & since now WWDC is over with finder not having any compelling new feature its about time I post it here.

Microsoft completely overhauled Windows Explorer with Windows Vista. Not only the look is changed but the way you manage your files is also changed. It is a very powerful file browser & manager now which makes it very easy to manage files.

On first look, this is how the default Windows Explorer looks like. My Computer of Windows is now replaced with just “Computer” which shows all your fixed, removable & optical drives at one place.

*img476.imageshack.us/img476/7586/explorermaindo9.jpg

The default look is not only enhanced but also it is logically more unified. You no longer get the classic menu bar by default, & come to think about it, when was the last time you used it? You can still get the Menu bar by pressing & releasing the keyboard Alt key.

The Explorer is divided into parts such as address bar, search box, favorite links & the viewport area.

The address bar is no longer like the one in Windows XP. It is a breadcrumb bar & from one folder you can jump to any other folder on the path backward using the breadcrumb arrows. It makes it easier to go back as many steps as you want. However you cannot drag a file to address bar, hover over an arrow & open that folder with drag selected. You can instead simply do a Cut & go to that folder & Paste.

*img480.imageshack.us/img480/6332/breadcrumbwn7.jpg



In Windows XP, clicking on the address bar pull down menu used to give a display of all the drives & navigation folders which was a really good feature. It is omitted in Vista & now the address bar pull down menu shows a history of some recently opened folders & URL links. More like IE 7’s address bar. The Windows XP method was a good feature which was removed for no reason.

*img463.imageshack.us/img463/1127/addressbarse2.jpg

Below the address bar is the Tasks toolbar. This is a context sensitive toolbar which changes according the folder you are in like if you click on an image, the icons change to tasks which will assist you in doing picture related stuff. If you select a Video it will offer you video related tasks such as making a DVD or playing it in WMP11 etc.

You can navigate back or forward using the usually identifiable back & forward buttons which are on left side of address bar.

*img473.imageshack.us/img473/3905/backforwardwx3.jpg


Explorer now has search integrated in it. You can search for anything from anywhere in Explorer. Just write the word & Windows Explorer will display it in search instantly or if the files are not indexed, a bit slow. It searches in the folder in which you are currently & the index. Search is a big feature in Windows Vista & makes it easy to find a particular file.

*img473.imageshack.us/img473/7892/searchov5.jpg

[FONT=&quot]Now let us come to the favorite links sidebar. Well, nothing much to talk about. Just drag the folder you want to add to this favorite link sidebar & it will make a shortcut. One shortcoming though that you cannot increase the icon or font size of Sidebar, but it is possible using registry hacks. The Explorer Tree navigation is below the favorite bar & is displayed when you click on “Folders” button.

*img482.imageshack.us/img482/5405/sidebargu9.jpg

[/FONT] At the bottom is the File details pane which is an enhancement of the Windows XP shell style info pane. Just click on a file & it will show all the possible info it can about that file such as author, date etc. You can also edit the file description depending upon which file it is, like if it is a Word 2007 document you can easily change the author etc.

*img482.imageshack.us/img482/1732/fileinfouq6.jpg

These were the basic Windows Explorer definition in Vista. Now coming to how explorer makes like easier.

In Windows Vista, by default the Pictures, Music, Movies, Contact etc are stored in the users own folder. However he can simply change the location of these folders to somewhere else like some other partition & still refer to them at the original location. Suppose I have my music on my E:\Drive. All I have to do is to go my user’s folder, right click on the “Music” Folder & change its location to that of E:\ drive. Now all Windows application whether third party or Windows integrated will refer to the new location of E:\Drive. You are not forced to use Windows the default way, you can use it the way you want. You can change the location of Movies Folder, documents & pictures just like this. This comes in handy if you save your data on another hard disk or partition.

You also have some saved searches called “Live Folders”. These are virtual folders which are more like containers which refer to files complying with specific criteria. For example, in you user folder there is a folder names “Searches” which houses some commonly used search terms like “All recent files, made in the last 2 days” & other criteria’s like this. You can also make your own live folder using the Windows Search. Just perform a search & save it. For example, if I search for all files created since Monday to today all I have to do is to go to search panel, select the criteria & save it as a search. Since all the files are indexed, any new file created will be added to this live folder easily. You can simply drag this Live folder to favorite links sidebar for easier access.

*img470.imageshack.us/img470/6981/searchesce6.jpg

One thing enhanced in Windows Vista is the inbuilt preview in Explorer. Now it is called Windows Preview. By default Windows shows thumbnails of all the files it has in a folder such as videos or images. You can simply turn on the Preview function from the organize button found at the top toolbar & now you will be greeted by a simple preview panel in the side of explorer in which you can see the preview of any file. Windows Explorer shows preview of many files such as Video or Audio or Images right there in Explorer itself. You can even play videos in here without opening any media player. The file types that Windows can preview can be extended using plug-ins available. Recently with the release of Adobe Acrobat 8.1 you can preview PDF files in explorer too. You can preview just about any possible file in Explorer as long as the plug-in is installed including but not limited to Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint Slides.

*img390.imageshack.us/img390/8164/previeem5.jpg

Next to the organize button is the “Views” button which will resize the icons or thumbnails on Explorer in real time. It shows the content of the files up to a preview size of 256X256 pixels. You can easily use a bit display with high resolution & see what a file contains without even opening it. This is more like a Live Thumbnail.

*img386.imageshack.us/img386/5879/bigiconskz9.jpg

There are different types of views in the Explorer viewport area such as the standard icon view as well as tiles or details or list views. One new enhancement in Explorer is that if you are in a folder having many files then you can simply click on the column at the top of viewport area to sort the files according to criteria as well as show only the files matching particular criteria. For example, you can click on the “Type” tab & select to show only JPG & Word documents & it will hide all the files in that folder other than those matching these file types. You can similarly click on the “Date” tab & select to show the files from a following date only. It makes navigation easier if you need to copy all the image files from a folder where there are many different files, just select to show image files then copy all the files which show up. You can even stack the files & save it as a “Live Folder”

*img386.imageshack.us/img386/2756/sortbytypefc3.jpg


Using the tasks toolbar you can also use the inbuilt CD Burning feature of Windows Vista to burn all the files you require. Help is available right through the tasks toolbar.

Let us come to the Windows shell. The Start menu is further streamlined for use with new Windows Vista technologies such as search & live previews. You can search for all files or anything right there from the Start menu “Instant Search” itself.

Alt+tab which now called FlipTab also shows preview of all Windows you have open. You can directly click on any thumbnail to jump to that particular window. Windows has a Tasks based approach towards navigation of open windows on screen. If you have five internet explorer Windows open then they show up as five separate entities & you can jump to anyone directly using FlipTab.

*img454.imageshack.us/img454/4455/fliptabrd3.jpg

Taskbar now shows small preview of the Windows opened just by hovering the mouse over them. It also groups similar windows together which you can navigate to either by clicking on the taskbar button or using FlipTab.

*img474.imageshack.us/img474/5390/taskbarpreviewts7.jpg

*img469.imageshack.us/img469/9528/taskbargroupinghi6.jpg

You can customise a folder’s icon by right clicking on it, go to properties, customise tab & select an Icon.

Due to new technologies such as Volume Shadow copy, Windows can go to a previous version of your file if you have overwritten it with a new one. After that you can save the old version alongside the new version. If you deleted a file accidently, well….just use Windows backup & it will be there.

Windows Explorer supports full drag & drop. Not only that, if you have multiple files & folders in a folder, you don’t need to keep pressing Control key to select multiple files. Just turn on Checkbox from Tool->Folder Option & now you can simply click on these checkbox & drag & drop or cut-paste the selection at once. When you drag the files together, Explorer shows you a count of selected files.

*img490.imageshack.us/img490/7940/checkboxselectionwf5.jpg

Windows Explorer is just that, Windows Explorer. It lets you manage your files the way you want it to. You are in control.

[FONT=&quot]The Finder part is something I would urge Arya to write, because if I do it, then it will be called a biased article. Both Explorer & Finder cater to the need of File management, it’s just that Explorer is Kick ass & highly extendable[/FONT]

 

[aryayush]

I did not bother reading the whole "article" but I noticed one comment towards the end that made me laugh my ass off:

Windows Explorer supports full drag & drop.

Oh really? WOW! I never knew that. So, let's see - does it open a folder when you drag something over it, so that you can move further into the hierarchy?
No? Oh, but you just said that it "supports full drag & drop". Of course, you were lying as usual.

I am sure the whole post is full of random lies such as this one.

 

[gxsaurav]

does it open a folder when you drag something over it, so that you can move further into the hierarchy?

Nope, that is a Apple Patented method of Spring loaded folders. A concept UI for something better in Windows is on its way

No? Oh, but you just said that it "supports full drag & drop". Of course, you were lying as usual.

I am sure the whole post is full of random lies such as this one.

Do read the post once, thats why I gave screenshots . I hope those lines which u call lies don't come out to be Finder pwning lines

Do come with your article about Finder

 

[gxsaurav]

Lolz...you expect him to know how windows works.

Arya, here is Sidebar drag for u

*img486.imageshack.us/img486/6738/sidebardragpn0.jpg

There is a saying which fits here.

"Don't argue with an Idiot, they first bring you to there level & then beat you by there experience"

I don't wanna argue with arya & reach his level of knowledge & experience

 

[Zeeshan Quireshi]

Of course explorer beats Finder Hands down .

my biggest gripe with finder: it does not show full file path so yo have to manually switch view in finder n then go all the way to the root to see where the file is present .

 

[gxsaurav]

Yo fellow members, public support for Arya writing a finder review. I don't wanna do it cos then Macboys will not agree to it, obviously. So let the Mac genius write it who thinks he knows about Macs after using it for 7 months

 

[anandk]

Cool review !!!

 

[sam_1710]

wooowww... cool review!! ..
dint know bout the last part!! thanks fot dat!! *www.thelair.it/forum/style_emoticons/thelair/hail.gif

 

[blackleopard92]

Oh really? WOW! I never knew that. So, let's see - does it open a folder when you drag something over it, so that you can move further into the hierarchy?

yes it does. except the fact that instead of we use left hand folder tree for this use. it's better than scrolling the whole window to find the required folder, and doing it again and again. in fact, using folder view(in lower left pane) u can drag items to a subdirectory located in a different drive too.it's more sophisticated and simple

 

[gxsaurav]

yes it does. except the fact that instead of we use left hand folder tree for this use. it's better than scrolling the whole window to find the required folder, and doing it again and again. in fact, using folder view(in lower left pane) u can drag items to a subdirectory located in a different drive too.it's more sophisticated and simple

Hey cool blackleopard, I didn't know about this trick. Just compleated making another UI concept for Vista. Posting in a while.

Fellow members, those who want to see this in action, this is how the tree drag feature works in vista. Just download the video

 

[blackpearl]

Cool review.

 

[gxsaurav]

Looks like I will have to do Finder review too....damn, this review is so biased without any macboy taking part

 

[iMav]

Yo fellow members, public support for Arya writing a finder review. I don't wanna do it cos then Macboys will not agree to it, obviously. So let the Mac genius write it who thinks he knows about Macs after using it for 7 months

dude digg this ... its 1 of the most comprehensive reviews iv seen in a lot of time .. amazing review ... btw il do a finder review if arya doesnt do it before me ... btw finder is no competition to explorer by any means its a very basic 80s genereation explorer

 

[gxsaurav]

iMav , you forgot.

Mac OS X Finder : It looks good & polished......................................thats it.

Can it manage my files? : Yes

Can it work the way I want : Nope

 

[iMav]

kaam shivaji style looks abhishek bachan style .... bole toh finder of os x

 

[goobimama]

I want just downloaded a file using my favourite web browser IE. Say I've set it to save to desktop. Now I want to move that file to somewhere in the D Drive > something folder > something else folder. I have to cut the file. Then I have to open explorer cause there's no spring loaded folders. Navigate using that sidebar. Paste the file. Close explorer.

On the Mac I just drag it to the HD icon, or whatever other folder I've left on the desktop springs open a window, drag it to the desired location and it automatically closes the window.

---------

One more complaint I have against explorer. Even when dragging a file within explorer, to navigate to the bottom of the 'tree' is such a pain as you have to go through all the explanded folders. Then at the opportune moment, just as you release the file to be moved, it scrolls a bit down making you transfer in the wrong place. And we all know how long Vista takes to cancel a file transfer...

Extra Large icons in Vista vs CoverFlow in OS X

- Making the previews bigger is closer to in Finder than going up to change the icon size
- It shows a preview of all files including Word, Excel, PDF, movies, and has the option of expanding this list of supported files by adding some kind of plugins. You can also play the movies or flip through pages of a document right there.
Explorer on the other hand can only preview Images, Video and PDF.
- While dragging a file, if Vista can generate a thumbnail of the icon, as shown in gx's screenshot, it sort of covers the mouse so its very difficult to see where exactly you are dragging a file to. OS X on the other hand, fades the icons along with their file names while showing you a prominent mouse pointer.

The rest of the comparisons are there in Tiger itself....

 

[Desi-Tek.com]

only problem with vista (explorer ) is it take ages to delete large file for example if u want to delete 1gb file it will take more than 5 min to delete that file specially if the file is distributed in many folders (subdirectory) eg folder of games . i hope microsoft will fix it in service pack 1

 

[gxsaurav]

Then I have to open explorer cause there's no spring loaded folders. Navigate using that sidebar. Paste the file. Close explorer.

Yup, Spring Loaded folders is a technology for which Apple holds a patent due to which it cannot be used in Vista. Deal with it....it is not Microsoft's fault that Apple patented "A method to drag & drop a file"

One more complaint I have against explorer. Even when dragging a file within explorer, to navigate to the bottom of the 'tree' is such a pain as you have to go through all the explanded folders. Then at the opportune moment, just as you release the file to be moved, it scrolls a bit down making you transfer in the wrong place.

I wonder why u r facing the problem, I don't face it here. Then again, Vista's doesn't search for files there too while it does here & in kenshin's case. Goobi Vista hates u

- Making the previews bigger is closer to in Finder than going up to change the icon size

Already there in Windows. It only plays when you want it to play.

- It shows a preview of all files including Word, Excel, PDF, movies, and has the option of expanding this list of supported files by adding some kind of plugins. You can also play the movies or flip through pages of a document right there.

Yup, everything is already possible in Windows Vista Explorer.

Explorer on the other hand can only preview Images, Video and PDF.

And anything for which you have a plugin installed. Coverflow in Finder is just a rip of Windows Preview + Windows XP Filmstrip view

- While dragging a file, if Vista can generate a thumbnail of the icon, as shown in gx's screenshot, it sort of covers the mouse so its very difficult to see where exactly you are dragging a file to.

Subjective, it does makes a pile of icons, yes....but a cursor is still visible. But ya I do agree that the pile should be less opaque.

Goobi, why don't u write a complete review of Finder.

only problem with vista (explorer ) is it take ages to delete large file for example if u want to delete 1gb file it will take more than 5 min to delete that file specially if the file is distributed in many folders (subdirectory) eg folder of games . i hope microsoft will fix it in service pack 1

This is already fixed. Download the Update

 

[aryayush]

And anything for which you have a plugin installed. Coverflow in Finder is just a rip of Windows Preview + Windows XP Filmstrip view

WHAT! Come again. LOL!

Who is the poster... oh, you again! Carry on with the bullshit.

Cover Flow is a copy of something in Windows!!! Ha! Ha! Ha!


BTW, I read most of your review but I couldn't see anything that is there in Explorer and lacking in the Finder. I'll do a check-list for you right now, just wait...

 

[gxsaurav]

WHAT! Come again. LOL!

Cover Flow is a copy of something in Windows!!! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Oh, I guess U never used Windows XP either. Then how will you know about Filmstrip view of Windows XP Pictures folder which used to show preview of images & videos like this.

*z.about.com/d/windows/1/0/p/2/-/-/pictures.gif

And Windows Explorer in Vista is already showing preview of many file formats out there since 8 months. Obviously a blind ignorent macboy like u won't understand.

Fellow members I ask you. Isn't coverflow showing preview right there in Explorer is something Windows has been doing since XP? as shown in the pic above

BTW, I read most of your review but I couldn't see anything that is there in Explorer and lacking in the Finder. I'll do a check-list for you right now, just wait...

How can I compare , I did wanted to write a finder article ....but then macboys would have called it biased, plz post the article here yourself. For starters

1) Finder has no Cut option

2) Finder has no address bar

3) Finder has no breadcrumb bar

4) Finder has no option to show just a particular file type in Viewport

5) Finder has no custom icon spacing.

6) You cannot resize any windows from any side. Just the south west