opening appilcation with keyboard

[matt neuburg]

In <0001HW.BB402B7900292711F0284600@news-server.tampabay.rr.com> J
wrote:

> OK, I'm a really new at the mac, and I'm a little confused about
> starting applications. Since I'm using a powerbook, I try to use the
> keyboard as much as possible.
>
> Example: using Finder, I can navigate to the icon of the application
> I want to run. Once the icon is selected, I can't figure out how to
> start the application using the keyboard. I know that I can use the
> mouse and double click the icon. But how can I do that with the
> keyboard.
>
> Every time I hit Enter, it just starts to rename the file. How I can
> start the application using the keyboard.

Type Command-O. Command is the cloverleaf or "splat" key next to the
space bar. Hold that and type O (for Open). This opens the file.

Your question is not a stupid one. On the contrary, in my view you are
just the sort of user Apple should be listening to. Personally, I have
been using Macs for a dozen years and I too still expect the file to
open on Enter. Clearly we have a common intuition about this, and that
intuition is something that the Apple folks ought to be paying attention
to. m.

--
matt neuburg, phd = [email]matt@tidbits.com[/email], [url]http://www.tidbits.com/matt[/url]
REALbasic: The Definitive Guide! 2nd edition!
[url]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596001770/somethingsbymatt[/url]
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[NeoLuddite]

In article <20030720092141744-0700@news.la.sbcglobal.net>,
matt neuburg <matt@tidbits.com> wrote:

> In <0001HW.BB402B7900292711F0284600@news-server.tampabay.rr.com> J
> wrote:

> > OK, I'm a really new at the mac, and I'm a little confused about
> > starting applications. Since I'm using a powerbook, I try to use the
> > keyboard as much as possible.
> >
> > Example: using Finder, I can navigate to the icon of the application
> > I want to run. Once the icon is selected, I can't figure out how to
> > start the application using the keyboard. I know that I can use the
> > mouse and double click the icon. But how can I do that with the
> > keyboard.
> >
> > Every time I hit Enter, it just starts to rename the file. How I can
> > start the application using the keyboard.

>
> Type Command-O. Command is the cloverleaf or "splat" key next to the
> space bar. Hold that and type O (for Open). This opens the file.

I don't know if thgis still works in Mac OS X but you can also use
Command down-arrow to open a file, folder or application. Look in the
Help system for more keyboard shortcuts (I don't think that one is
listed though).

> Your question is not a stupid one. On the contrary, in my view you are
> just the sort of user Apple should be listening to. Personally, I have
> been using Macs for a dozen years and I too still expect the file to
> open on Enter. Clearly we have a common intuition about this, and that
> intuition is something that the Apple folks ought to be paying attention
> to. m.

Unless you had a way to set it in the Finder preferences, I think you'd
piss off a lot of long time Mac users if you made Return the open file
key. I know that would drive me nuts if I kept launching applications
when I was trying to rename a file.

And I wouldn't call it intuition. Command-O (O for open) is more
intuitive it's just that it's two keys to hit instead of one. But maybe
you're thing of teh Return key as the default "action" key, which it is
in many cases.

But then I've never been a much of a "keyboard" guy. It seems easier to
open a file by just double-clicking on it rather than navigate around
with the keyboard. I've tried it from time to time but always end up
going back to mainly using the mouse.

--
Real Address-> neoluddite0comcast.net <- replace 0 with @
Bill Gates couldn't innovate his way out of a paper bag.

[matt neuburg]

In <see_signature_for_address-1DD4F7.18461220072003@news.comcast.
giganews.com> NeoLuddite wrote:

> In article <20030720092141744-0700@news.la.sbcglobal.net>,
> matt neuburg <matt@tidbits.com> wrote:
>

>> are just the sort of user Apple should be listening to. Personally,
>> I have been using Macs for a dozen years and I too still expect the
>> file to open on Enter. Clearly we have a common intuition about this,
>> and that intuition is something that the Apple folks ought to be
>> paying attention to. m.

>
> intuitive it's just that it's two keys to hit instead of one. But
> maybe you're thing of teh Return key as the default "action" key,
> which it is in many cases.

I think that's probably so.

> But then I've never been a much of a "keyboard" guy. It seems easier
> to open a file by just double-clicking on it rather than navigate
> around with the keyboard

But that's just the problem - it *is* easier. This is an area where the
Windows folks have it all over us; you can do everything very easily
with just the keyboard. It's that wonderful backwards DOS, you-might-not-
have-a-mouse compatibility. You really don't know how wonderful this is
until you get into the habit of taking advantage of it. Then the Mac,
with its compulsory mousing, starts to drive you a little nuts. We're
getting there; keyboard navigation of menus, of a sort, is now built
into Mac OS X, and there is better and better ability to tab to
interface items like buttons. m.

--
matt neuburg, phd = [email]matt@tidbits.com[/email], [url]http://www.tidbits.com/matt[/url]
REALbasic: The Definitive Guide! 2nd edition!
[url]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596001770/somethingsbymatt[/url]
Subscribe to TidBITS. It's free and smart.

[Gregory Weston]

In article <20030720193527313-0700@news.la.sbcglobal.net>,
matt neuburg <matt@tidbits.com> wrote:

> But that's just the problem - it *is* easier. This is an area where the
> Windows folks have it all over us;

I'm not sure I follow the logic. It's easier to use the mouse to
select/open files because a pointing device is easier to use than a
keyboard for that task.

> you can do everything very easily
> with just the keyboard. It's that wonderful backwards DOS, you-might-not-
> have-a-mouse compatibility. You really don't know how wonderful this is
> until you get into the habit of taking advantage of it.

I use Windows at least as often as I use the Mac. Outside of the menus,
I don't find keyboard navigation to be easier or more compelling than I
do on Mac OS.

[NeoLuddite]

In article <20030720193527313-0700@news.la.sbcglobal.net>,
matt neuburg <matt@tidbits.com> wrote:

> > But then I've never been a much of a "keyboard" guy. It seems easier
> > to open a file by just double-clicking on it rather than navigate
> > around with the keyboard

>
> But that's just the problem - it *is* easier. This is an area where the
> Windows folks have it all over us; you can do everything very easily
> with just the keyboard. It's that wonderful backwards DOS, you-might-not-
> have-a-mouse compatibility. You really don't know how wonderful this is
> until you get into the habit of taking advantage of it. Then the Mac,
> with its compulsory mousing, starts to drive you a little nuts. We're
> getting there; keyboard navigation of menus, of a sort, is now built
> into Mac OS X, and there is better and better ability to tab to
> interface items like buttons. m.

Well, easier for you. When I had a PowerBook I had a utility that gave
it Windows style menu navigation but I still couldn't get used it.

Apple should give you the option though. Make it something that could be
turned on or off or customized in the preferences. That's one of the
great things about the GUI on a computer, the possibly of having
multiple interface styles.

--
Real Address-> neoluddite0comcast.net <- replace 0 with @
Bill Gates couldn't innovate his way out of a paper bag.

[David C.]

NeoLuddite <see_signature_for_address@invalid.com> writes:

>
> I don't know if thgis still works in Mac OS X but you can also use
> Command down-arrow to open a file, folder or application. Look in
> the Help system for more keyboard shortcuts (I don't think that one
> is listed though).

Cmd-down dows work in OS X. And Cmd-up opens the parent folder. I
use them all the time.

I learned about these by accident - my Emacs configuration uses
ctrl-up/down to scroll a window without moving the insertion point.
When I tried to do the same thing in the Finder (mentally swapping
Ctrl for Cmd, which I instinctively do when switching from a
Windows/UNIX app to a Mac app), it opened new windows.

The keyboard shortcut I've never figured out (if it exists) is to
select the first/last icon in a Finder window. Home/End will scroll
the window to the start/end, but they won't change the selection. On
Windows Ctrl-PgUp and Ctrl-PgDn do it, but there doesn't seem to be a
shortcut for MacOS.

-- David

[Jaco Schoonen]

J wrote:

> OK, I'm a really new at the mac, and I'm a little confused about starting
> applications. Since I'm using a powerbook, I try to use the keyboard as much
> as possible.
>

If you like using the keyboard have a look at LaunchBar
([url]http://www.obdev.at/products/launchbar/[/url]) It's not free, but it's the
best $20 I ever spent. I think it has an evaluation or demo mode if you
don't register so you could try it out.

You can start all your applications or documents, music whatever with
very few keystrokes. Best thing is that you don't have to learn a
zillion shortcut keys because it has a smart way of learning from how
you use it.

[David C.]

Wayne C. Morris writes:

> David C. wrote:

>>
>> The keyboard shortcut I've never figured out (if it exists) is to
>> select the first/last icon in a Finder window. Home/End will
>> scroll the window to the start/end, but they won't change the
>> selection. On Windows Ctrl-PgUp and Ctrl-PgDn do it, but there
>> doesn't seem to be a shortcut for MacOS.

>
> Option-Up and Option-Down will do it in List View.
>
> ESC followed by Up or Down will do it in both List View and Icon
> View. (Pressing ESC is only necessary if you already have a file
> selected, and has the effect of deselecting.)

Thanks for these. I didn't know about them.

Interestingly, the sense is reversed between icon and list views for
the ESC-arrow sequence.

> I can't find anything that does it in Column View.

I did find that left, followed by right will send you to the first
icon (you effectively leave the folder and re-enter). But nothing
for selecting the last icon.

-- David