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Robin Landsbert's Pfinder simulates the new Mac OS X Panther Finder interface for pre-Mac OS X Panther versions, and especially for Mac OS 9 users whose Macs can not be upgraded to Mac OS X due to hardware restrictions.
Pfinder features for all pre-Panther OS
• Favorites column
• Favorites groups
• Iconize to palette
• Go to parent folder
• Edit file creator and types
Features for Mac OS X (pre-Panther)
• Color Labels
• Calculate folder sizes
• Resizable columns in column view
Features for Mac OS 9
• Single window interface
• Window history (back and forward)
• Column View
• Icon Scaling
• Extra info under icon in icon view
• Window pictures and colors
Favorites Column
When you first launch Pfinder you will get a set of standard folders showing in the favorites column on the left of the main Pfinder window. Also added to the top of this list are any mounted disks. Clicking on any of these icons will show that folder in the main area of the Pfinder window. To add new icons to this list, just drag an icon from the main area into this list and an alias of it will be added. You can also drag icons from the real Finder into this list. You can drag anything you like into this area, including applications, documents and favorite folders. You can re-order this list just by dragging an icon up and down to the correct position. To remove an icon just drag it out of the list and it will disappear. Only the alias will be removed, not the original. Alternatively select the icon and select Clear from the Edit menu.
Favorites Groups
Because you may have many more favorites than can be displayed in one column, or you may want to group your favorites into logical groups, you can create new groups of favorites. Firstly select 'Show Favorites Groups Panel' from the View menu. A panel will slide open under the favorites column. There is one default groups called 'Favorites' which can not be deleted. A new group can be added by selecting 'New Favorites Group' from the View menu. A new Folder will appear in the Favorites Groups Panel which can be renamed to something like 'Applications' or 'Work' or 'Projects'. When you click on this group folder it will show a new blank Favorites panel (apart from the Disks). You can then drag the appropriate icons into this area. Applications dragged in the Favorites column can be launched with just one click.
Iconize to Palette
When you collapse or minimise the Pfinder window, you can choose in the Preferences dialog to leave it collapsed (ie: windowshaded), or collapse it to an icon in a floating palette so it can be accessed easily later. In Mac OS X you get an extra button in the top right corner of the main window which always collapses to the palette rather than minimizing to the Dock.
Info Panel
To show the info panel, select 'Show Info Panel' from the View menu or click the 'i' button in the top tool bar. An Info panel will slide up showing all the standard file, folder or disk info. For programmers, you also see the file creator and type codes which can be edited if you turn on the preference in the Preferences dialog. Do not edit these types if you do not know what you are doing, as it may render the file un-launchable or un-editable.
Color Labels
For Mac OS X users, Pfinder re-introduces the color labelling of MacOS 9. Your old Mac OS 9 label colors will be shown as they were in OS 9 and they can be changed from the Info panel. The label names and colors can be changed in the Preferences dialog.
Calculate Folder Sizes
Pfinder will calculate folder sizes in the background like Mac OS 9 did. And like OS X it can display this size in blue under the folder icon along with the number of items in the folder. You can turn this off in the Preferences dialog.
Resizable Columns in Column View
The Mac OS X columns can be re-sized by clicking and dragging in the area between the columns. This same resizing technique also works for the info panel, the favorites panel and the favorites groups panel. A single click in the resize area of the info panel or the favorites groups panel will open of close the panel fully.
Single Window Interface
For Mac OS 9 users, Pfinder provides a single window navigation interface to the Finder. When you double click on a folder it does not open up a new window but opens the folder in the same window. (If you want to open a new window, hold the option key down). But like Mac OS X, Pfinder does hold a history of which folders you have visited and you can go back to them by pressing the forward and backwards arrows in the top left of the window.
Column View
Pfinder Classic enables Column view in the Classic OS. You can also keyboard navigate by using the arrow keys - up down to select the icons in a column - left arrow to go back to the previous column - and right arrow to create a new column if you have a folder currently selected (with an arrow pointing right). If you have an application or file selected, right arrow will open it.
Icon Scaling
Mac OS X provided new larger icons up to 128x128 pixels. Although most icons in Mac OS 9 are only 32x32 pixels there are some custom icons that have been recently created which are the full 128x128 pixels. These can now be shown in Mac OS 9. Old Mac OS 9 icons look pretty 'jaggy' when scaled but this can be useful for those with visual disabilities. Adjust icon sizes with the slider at the top of the Pfinder window.
Extra Info under Icons
In OS X you can choose to show extra info under a Finder icon in blue. This includes the folder size and number of items within the folder for folders, the file size for files, and the file size and pixel dimensions for images. Image files will also show a larger, more accurate representation of the image from the actual image data from the file. This can be turned off in the Preferences dialog. A full 128x128 pixel thumbnail of the image is shown in the info panel.
Pfinder also supports desktop pictures.
What Pfinder will not do (yet)
Copy or move files - When you drag a file into the main Pfinder window it will not copy or move the file. However it will switch views to show the folder that that file is in and select it. This is the same behaviour as the new Navigation Services open and save dialogs. However, when you drag a file out of Pfinder into a real Finder window (or Desktop), the real Finder WILL copy or move the file as Pfinder provides the correct information in the dragged item to allow the Finder to do this.
Spring loaded folders - this will appear when Pfinder supports copying or moving of files and folders.
Custom icons in the Info Panel - add any custom icons to your files and folders in the real Finder by selecting 'Get Info in Finder' from the File menu.
I'm having great fun experimenting with the Panther Finder features on the old WallStreet (and I hope the real Panther has as fast Finder response as this 233 MHz G3 'Book does running OS 9). I'm also getting a leg up on Panther adaptation for when the new big cat arrives for me.
Pfinder is a tiny download (less than 300k), and being an application it doesn't add any patches to your system. Well worth checking out, especially if you're wondering how you will like the Panther Finder, and if you have a Mac that won't support Panther, Pfinder will upgrade you to some of the latest GUI functionality.
New in version 1.0b3
QuickTime movie and sound file previews.
Background Colors and Pictures.
Support for WindowMonkey background pictures.
Column view bug fixes.
Robin Landsbert also says he has added a few features since the beta 3 announcement such as variable text size and grid spacing as per a users request even though beta is 'supposed to be' feature frozen. -- "If there are other feature deficiencies that users point out I will probably add them in too before release."
System requirements:
• Macintosh PowerPC
• System 9.0.
• Carbon Library.
• 2Mb RAM free.
• 1Mb Hard disk space.
Pfinder is $10.00 shareware
For more information, visit:
http://www.landsbert.freeserve.co.uk/pfinder/
Neo Purist
From: Chris Long
Hey C:
I read in today's A'links -- someone recommended you give Panther's Exposé a try before installing Windowshade.
I'll up the ante -- I think you should run Panther STOCK OUT OF THE BOX for a few weeks before making any decisions about any system add-ons.
You know me: I've always had to toss in a whole PILE of system add-ons/plug-ins/extensions/enhancers ... But with Panther I thought I'd at least TRY learning to use/enjoy the OS right outta the box.
To date: the only things I've truly missed (and therefore DID install) were my old freebie version of 'Liteswitch', which allows OS9 style window layering, and 'Tiger Launch', which I think qualifies as an OS modification (I keep main apps in dock and ALL apps in Tiger Launch).
Exposé is fantastic! App switching isn't half bad with the new cmd-tab feature.
You, too, might find that you can live without all the add-ons. AND benefit from the simplicity/stability as i have. if you'd told me i'd be working this way prior to Panther, i'd have laughed out loud.
The times they are a changin'! Who'da thunk it?
C
Hi Chris;
Sounds like a plan.
I find it hard to imagine getting along without windowshading, but as I said to Jonathan, I', game to give it a hook.
Don't know if I can live without TigerLaunch, though. I use it pretty much as you describe. However, it's a freestanding application and not a system add on anyway.
Contrary to apparent popular impression, I don't have my system loaded up with add-ons. Perhaps it's because I test and write about a lot of shareware, but very little of it stays installed. Mouse Zoom and WindowShade X (plus Application Enhancer) are about it. And I really don't think I can get along without Mouse Zoom unless Apple has given a shot of elixir de lapin to OS X's poky mouse driver in Panther.
Charles
***
Charles W. Moore
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