But the point is (at least for me) to be able to do it with the keyboard NOT the mouse (and keyboard).

CTRL-X + CTRL-V
is just so much faster than:

- grab mouse
- point to file
- hold down modifier key on keyboard
- move mouse
- let go of mouse button
…

Maybe you'd be happier using Windows.

This isn't a case of better or worse. It's just personal taste, and if you prefer the Windows way, use Windows. It isn't like you have some IT department telling you that you are required to use a Mac!

Nope - I'm still happier using a Mac (as I have done since Mac Plus!), but I am also not so stupid as _not_ to want Apple (or a third party if possible) to implement the features from the other OS's that works better than what's included in Apples OS.

It works better for you, and a few switchers. It provides no benefit to most Mac users, because we wouldn't ever think to use it. That's what I mean by it being personal taste and not a matter of one method being better or worse. It's simply not intuitive, although it may feel that way to you because that's what you were trained on.

I'm sorry but you're wrong again.

I am NOT trained on Windows - quite the opposite - BUT I off course want to do what's most efficient, even though that means to like some of the ways Windows works!

- Despite I know that it is a dangerous thing to say in a Mac-forum, as you wrote (apparently knowing better than the rest of us):
I am a Macuser - have been for almost 20 years - and I am thinking of using it.

Just because it is not an appealing way FOR YOU to work like that, how can you then conclude that ALL OTHER Mac users agrees with you…

Just look at the length (word- as well as timewise) of this thread and I am sure you can see that a lot of Mac users miss this functionality ;-D

The fact is that most requests are from Windows switchers, as in the OP:
That tells me that it's not something that Mac users are clamoring for, even if a few might be interested in it.

The length of the thread, or even the frequency of the request is not as significant as who (switchers) is asking for a feature, especially when that feature isn't frequently used and isn't intuitive, even to most Windows users, who generally aren't aware of its existence.

Then let's call the users that miss this feature for "power users" no matter what platform they have spent most of their time on :)

I've already got a name for them: Windows users. :D

As a power user, I miss this functionality as well. As a Mac user... that doesn't change. I agree with TvE. And if Apple didnt want this functionality in Finder, why did they provide a "copy" feature that works?:confused:

My theory is that "features" like this one, and closing a window causing its application to close, for another example, creep into the system because Apple hires its programmers from the same places that everybody else does. Some of the Windows culture will inevitably seep in. :(

You left out that you still have to take the mouse select the file first, cut, and then and move to the new window and click to select it, and then paste.

So you aren't saving all those many steps. It's NOT just a keyboard thing.

Now where the mouse comes in handy is; you have a folder full of files, and you want to select just some of them. So you Command-click the files you want, and drag the whole lot. I drag them to a new folder, then drag that to the destination, and Command-Delete the original.

OS X had a move command for a short time. it was removed with a few other very handy things, not to mention missing features from OS 9 (Remember being able to turn the cursor into a hand to scroll windows (and Safari)?. How about Command clicking disclosure triangles to expand or collapse a whole window full?)

I do think it's a handy thing to have, but Macs don't have it, just as Windows doesn't have a bunch of things Macs have.

That's life!

I see what you mean... but, after visiting several non-windows familiar friends/family using their Macs, I see them leave almost every application they've used that day open (by them only clicking the window closed). It's funny, you can tell them exactly what they did on their computer that day... freak'em out :)

That's fine. It's more efficient to leave them open than to open and close them all day long. No waiting for apps to open!

Or you could just use Quicksilver (freeware), and simply type:

TEXtedit

(tab)

MOve to

(tab)

FOLDERNAME

(return)

Done!

If you want a cut command, open Terminal and enter:

defaults write com.apple.finder AllowCutForItems 1

reboot (or quit and restart finder) and you have a cut command. But be warned, it doesn't work as nicely as the Windows version. In Windows when you select "cut" it just marks the file as cut--it doesn't actually delete the original file until you complete the paste, so if you change your mind after cutting you haven't lost anything. In the Mac version, it cuts the file right away--I have no idea where it vanishes to if you don't complete the paste function.


That being said, I have to say that as a new Mac user one of the things I am finding most irritating is the "if mac doesn't have it then we don't need that feature" attitude as well as the "why don't you go use windows" comment whenever someone asks for a feature that Windows has. Such blind mac zealotry does nobody any good. Mac has adopted many things from Windows over the years--the taskbar, contextual menus, etc. I'm sure there were many conversations back when about how Mac users didn't need such things. There are, in fact, many Windows features that Mac would be well to adopt, and I think sometimes the only reason they don't is simply corporate pride--and that's not to their customers' benefit.

A search for "finder cut" in google will yield you many entries from people who do, in fact, desire such a feature. Just because Mac doesn't have a feature that windows has doesn't automatically make it a worthless feature.

On my machine (PPC - 10.5.1), it enables a cut command.
But the command only moves the selected file(s) to the trash, and doesn't allow to paste them.
I.e., it's only an other way to delete them. Not quite the expected behavior.

I do technical support for a living, and honestly, the thought of cutting files, even temporarily to "paste" them elsewhere scares the hell out of me.

To me, the ability to do an action in the finder (cut), if followed by an action in any other app (copy or cut), causing you to lose said file seems to be a bad thing. I could live with a hold to move command being tied to the same key shortcut and not using the clipboard, where if you forget about it you don't lose your file to oblivion. Personally, I want a shelf :D.

And it isn't a worthy feature just because a significant, vocal minority of Windows switchers want it. The fact is that most Windows users don't even know it exists. It's not intuitive, and the overwhelming majority of Mac users haven't requested it and also don't know it exists. That's what makes it not intuitive! Most people would never think to do it.

The way it works in Windows is non-destructive. Once you cut, nothing happens except the file becomes translucent. Then when you paste it somewhere else, the file gets cut and pasted. If you never do the paste, nothing happens to the original file, it reverts to normal.

As for a shelf, try PathFinder, it features one.

Not true. I've seen many Windows users use the feature. Personally, I find it very intuitive. I figured it out on my own, in fact. As for many users not knowing it exists, what does that have to do with anything? Would you like Apple to remove all their odd shortcuts and hidden features that probably 95% of their users never use or know about?

There is a balance between having core features that are intuitive, but also having more powerful features that power users who seek them out come to love and count on to save time and keystrokes. IMO the Mac is strong on the former, but short on the latter.

In general I find the mac to be slightly more stable and definitely more pleasant looking than windows. But in general the number of features and configurability of Windows Explorer is far superior to Finder. Using the program PathFinder corrects for a lot of that, by the way.