OS X Tweaks: Free Downloads I Can’t Live Without

Posted by Brian Sorli on 08/11/07 in Featured, Organization, Tips & Tricks, Utilities

OS X Tricks & Tips I’m sure I’m not alone using both Mac and PC computers? I’ve been around long enough to remember the days of typing in DOS, falling in love with Amiga computers and Macs being monotone all in one units resembling over sized vertical toasters. Wow, those were the days - compared to IBM PS1 systems of that generation, Macs weren’t all that bad and at least they had a mouse and GUI.

Living in the PC world for longer then I wish to remember has caused me to rely on functions that most other operating systems provide, that sadly Mac OS is simply missing. For instance, where’s the finder Refresh button.

How often have you been in a finder window and had to do a song and dance to coax the interface into refreshing content? Mac OS does not do this automatically or at least not quickly enough for me. Basically, by default you have to click the Back button a couple of times, leave the folder you want refreshed, and then return to see what has changed.

Thankfully, a quick search on Google found the answer to this problem called Refresh Finder.

Refresh Finder

Refresh Finder is absolutely the perfect fix for this problem and should be included in Mac OS by default (Hint Apple). All you have to do is download the program using the link provided above, install by dragging into the Application folder, and then click-drag the item to your Finder Toolbar. I love programs that are not overly complicated, in this case very quick and easy, and the author deserves a big thumbs up for their efforts.

Finder Toolbar Shortcuts

By the way, did you notice that you could add applications and other shortcuts to your Finder Toolbar like shown above? Finder has some shortcomings and nothing is perfect, but last I checked you couldn’t drag shortcuts into a Windows Explorer toolbar. The best part of adding icons to the toolbar is being able to drag and drop files directly to the application you plan to open them in.

There is quick video at the end of this article showing how to do this. Talk about a time saver that cuts out what used to take at least 3 steps (right-click, open with, other, etc).

KeyFixer for Mac OS and Firefox

Similar to the Refresh Finder problem mentioned above, I’ve been able to click the Home and End keys in Windows and (depending on the application) jump to the beginning or end of the line automatically. Mac OS does not do this by default, but this can be fixed using a program called KeyFixer.

KeyFixer provides Home and End key functionality in Mac OS applications like iTunes, Word, Textedit, etc. Applications like Dreamweaver have had this ability for a while on Mac OS, but the other applications have had to do without. The author also provides another KeyFixer tweak for Firefox that does the same process as shown in the video below.

KeyFixer Sample [0:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drag and Drop to Finder [0:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I’ve found all three tweaks very useful and big time savers, so please let us know if you have found something better. Until then I’ll look forward to bringing you more handy OS X tweaks in the near future.

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15 Comment(s)

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Gahndu said on

August 11th, 2007 at 11:21 am

One application that I put in the finder toolbar is AppCleaner (http://www.freemacsoft.net/AppCleaner/index.php). Just drag unwanted apps to icon and it gets rid of preference files aswell as the app itself. This works with appzapper too, but I’m a cheap bastard.

John said on

August 11th, 2007 at 12:19 pm

So i would really like an app that allows me to arrow through text pop up boxes like I could on my windoze machines.

Miles Evans said on

August 11th, 2007 at 12:25 pm

@Gahndu: Brilliant! I just added AppZapper, Stuffit and TextMate to my Finder. I’m a bit embarrassed to say I had no idea you could do this :/

@Brian: Great tips…I thought that I was doomed to Apple-Shift-left/right arrow to select a line of text until today - awesome.

@John: Tab/Shift-Tab moves through dialogue boxes if that’s what you mean.

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John said on

August 11th, 2007 at 3:14 pm

I’ve tried tab with no avail. But i’ll try shift+tab though.

Thanks Miles.

plaz said on

August 11th, 2007 at 10:33 pm

try clicking in a text field and pressing the up or down arow key. OOooo cool.

Techslacker said on

August 12th, 2007 at 12:27 am

For those users of QuickSilver you can also drag QS to the Finder toolbar and from there you can drag and drop files onto it’s icon to manipulate them with QS.

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MXB said on

August 12th, 2007 at 2:30 am

You can use the (AppleKey) arrow to jump beginning and end of text I believe its OS standard, you can use the (optionKey) arrows to jump a word left or right, hold down the shift key on either of those and it highlights the text.

Others are good, esp the refresh finder can come in handy.

Jarod said on

August 12th, 2007 at 6:04 am

I just added Speed Download to my favorite list. Its an absolute dream download manager for the Mac. Does FTP and webDAV super fast too!!

Alex said on

August 12th, 2007 at 9:59 am

These are good finds, thanks. Though they seem more like “make the switch between mac and windows more easy,” apps instead of inherently value OS X additions.

Tony said on

August 12th, 2007 at 12:39 pm

In the finder:

Menu -> View -> Customize Toolbar

While the rolldown dialog is active, drag whatever folder or application that you
want to that finder window toolbar.

To remove it, just drag it off.

No extensions or third party app required.

Oyvind R said on

August 12th, 2007 at 5:54 pm

Thanks so much for this great advice!! Haven’t discovered this toolbar trick until now, and I’m a mac user since 1989!
Used a few minutes before I figured it out though: You have to have a _second_ Finder window open to drag the apps from, it doesn’t work from the main window where the drop-down is.
Time saver? You bet - I used to drag docs all the way to the dock on the right hand side of a broad screen…

Brian Sorli said on

August 13th, 2007 at 1:43 am

I actually found this by mistake…kind of…I was basically doing the usual drag and drop to the desktop and WOW the interface changed…that’s neat.

Glad you liked it and it may have just came available with a new Mac OS update…not sure really. Either way, I think it is great.

AppCleaner sounds like a winner and I need to give QuickSilver a try and see what it has to offer.

BTW, someone mentioned my article being slanted to users who have both Mac and Windows in their lives. Well to be honest, this is true, but that is who I am. In no way would I give a thumbs up to Microsoft and products like Windows Vista and that is why most of my clients are making the switch to Mac. I’m presently building a Windows Vista Ultimate system (7″ touchscreen case, Blu-Ray, loaded to the hilt) for a client costing over $4000 and guess what…I keep hitting bumps in the road.

Nothing is perfect, but Macs are pretty close.

Neil T. said on

August 13th, 2007 at 5:38 am

Sometimes useful as well: arrow through your “active apps” pop-up box with applekey-tab or applekey-shift-tab!

Ted said on

December 20th, 2007 at 12:56 am

Ted

Good up the good work.

David said on

December 20th, 2007 at 7:57 am

The three apps I find most useful to have icons for in my Finder toolbar:
1. Terminal
2. Activity Monitor
3. Disk Utility

I have found from experience that when I’m working in Finder I will frequently want to use one of those apps to do something or other–kill a recalcitrant app that Force Quit won’t, check to see what processes are running or stuck, eject a disk image that the Leopard disk eject bug won’t let me eject (hey, Apple! Fix this!)… they come in handy quite a bit.

windows vista screen savers said on

December 25th, 2007 at 11:07 pm

windows vista screen savers

Nice points…

Julie said on

December 30th, 2007 at 9:04 pm

I have Mac OS X 10.2.4 on my iBook. Is there a place I can download 10.3 for free? (I am not knowledgeable. I need at least 10.3 to get my printer to work.) Thank you! Julie

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