My current least favorite Mac 'feature'
Time for a quick rant. In general, I love that I've left the Windows world behind. I love OSX. But - like my own software, it isn't perfect. Today I want to complain about something that has bugged me since I first switched.
Why is it that every time I install software, the Mac does a volume check? By that I mean this screen:
The fact that it asks me what drive to install too doesn't bug me. What bugs me is that it immediately finds my main hard drive, but then I wait for 3-4 seconds while it searches for other volumes. I know 3-4 seconds isn't a long time, but it just annoys the heck out of me. I want to immediately hit "Macintosh HD" and hit next to continue on with the install.
Anyone know if this is a configurable setting?
Comments
This is by design since MacOS X first release. :-(
# Posted By Nitai Aventaggiato
| 4/16/08 9:58 AM
Lame suggestion, but you could unmount your other drives before running the install. That will either not ask you that question, or respond immediately (I forget which).
(to clarify, I'd bet the pause is due to that USB external drive)
Are you crazy? That's my MP3 drive. ;)
# Posted By Raymond Camden
| 4/16/08 10:55 AM
That's a valid gripe. Here's mine: Why can't I just hit enter on modal dialogs to confirm a selection? Better yet, why can't I tab to the other options? Speaking of tabbing, why does Safari skip HTML form controls like select and checkbox input?
# Posted By Erik Madsen
| 4/16/08 11:18 AM
@Erik: Safari 3.1 now does a great job of tabbing. Until then it really had been bad.
# Posted By Sam Farmer
| 4/16/08 11:35 AM
This is slightly off topic but our least favorite Mac 'Feature' is Entourage and the Mail program that comes with OS X tries to use the preview program to generate a preview of attached files including PDFs.
If someone attaches a 4 meg PDF it takes FOREVER for the preview to generate when you click on the email. You may as well go get a cup of coffee while it is working.
If someone attaches a 4 meg PDF it takes FOREVER for the preview to generate when you click on the email. You may as well go get a cup of coffee while it is working.
@Erik - You can "turn that on" by going into system preference - it's under "assisted devices" somewhere (I am at work currently :-/)
Once it's on you can hit enter to "click" the blue button, the space bar to hit the button with the blue haze around it, or use tab to set the focus.
Once it's on you can hit enter to "click" the blue button, the space bar to hit the button with the blue haze around it, or use tab to set the focus.
Every time? I instal 95% of my apps with: drag, drop, done. ;P
@Brian: Heh, good point. Many apps do indeed install like this. :)
# Posted By Raymond Camden
| 4/16/08 1:37 PM
omg - that lag when you attach a pdf or jpg to an email is sooooooooo frustrating! i do not need to see a preview of the file. agghh.
# Posted By Mike
| 4/16/08 2:51 PM
You're a bit late :)
http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/date_o...
http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/date_o...
"That's a valid gripe. Here's mine: Why can't I just hit enter on modal dialogs to confirm a selection? Better yet, why can't I tab to the other options? Speaking of tabbing, why does Safari skip HTML form controls like select and checkbox input?" - Eric Madsen
SERIOUSLY. That combined with the bold-faced lack of other basic windowing functionality (the ability to maximize a window and distribute screen space automatedly between multiple applications) and interaction are what made me eventually stop ripping out my arm hair, sell my MacBook Pro, and fall in love with Windows Vista.
Oh, and Vista can be attractive too.
http://www.fleet19.com/sharing/vista-1.jpg
SERIOUSLY. That combined with the bold-faced lack of other basic windowing functionality (the ability to maximize a window and distribute screen space automatedly between multiple applications) and interaction are what made me eventually stop ripping out my arm hair, sell my MacBook Pro, and fall in love with Windows Vista.
Oh, and Vista can be attractive too.
http://www.fleet19.com/sharing/vista-1.jpg
# Posted By David McGuigan
| 4/16/08 11:35 PM
I recently got MS Office 2008 (two months after it was to have been shipped according to the 6-8 weeks estimate, I might add). The installer insisted on doing a check for the previous version of Office (I'd decided to just manually drag the folder into the trash). I got a dialog similar to what you got. The main HD showed up immediately, but nooooo . . . i couldn't select it right there and then. I had to wait . . . and wait . . . for it to finish checking the other HD that TimeMachine uses. Gave up and just cancelled the install and removed the external drive and restarted the installer, I think.
# Posted By Lola LB
| 4/17/08 6:45 AM
I'm storing my mp3s on Time Capsule - pretty cool, I have instant access to them from my MacBook AND from my Desktop Mac without having to carry the USB-Disk with me.
And I have a iPod Touch for travels...
Ray, you should get Time Capsule. ;)
And I have a iPod Touch for travels...
Ray, you should get Time Capsule. ;)
Don't say Time Capsule to me. A few months back I bought an Airport. I love it. But I'm seriously pissed that Apple hasn't yet _officially_ supported the external HDD for Airport and Time Machine.
# Posted By Raymond Camden
| 4/17/08 8:22 AM
@Rob - just an FYI, last night I installed an app on my laptop. It has no USB drive and it too had the 'pause'.
# Posted By Raymond Camden
| 4/17/08 8:23 AM
Time capsules are a little flaky... mine sometimes can't find the backup set. It's not quite there yet.
# Posted By Akira
| 4/17/08 10:19 AM
I actually use Mozy for backup - but I want multiple options.
# Posted By Raymond Camden
| 4/17/08 10:32 AM