Thankfully it turns out the Leopard Finder mockup I produced a couple of months ago wasn’t too far away from the real deal. I’m pretty happy with the additions Apple have made, it should make for a much better overall experience.

 

I’m happy with the new look, although I personally think it feels a little unfinished (aqua scrollbars still? Hmm). Unifying the look across core applications was the right decision, especially when Apple are picking up new users in droves.

A Comparison:

Smarter Filters, Cover Flow & Quick View

Better smart filters are very welcome. Although they didn’t use them in exactly the same way I expected, the fact that they are providing pre-created filters is sure to let users actually know filtering exists - and is useful in everyday situations.

Cover Flow was a given, I’m not sure why I didn’t pick up on that one. Apple loves it, although I’m still unsure whether this will be any more than an added whistle. Perhaps for folders of pictures or videos I can see it being helpful, but for viewing the applications folder? I doubt it.

Quick view is excellent. I think it could be the best feature announced. I hate opening up apps just to check to see if I have the right document. Hopefully this will be easily extensible, so 3rd party developers can add support for their own document types.

No Tabs - But Hello Breadcrumb!

I wish Apple would add tabs. Perhaps this breaks too many interface guidelines to be considered. I still think it would be extremely useful - providing I can drop files onto a tab and have it spring open in the same way folders do.

One thing that did find its way in to the new Finder was a bread crumb. I thought this had very little chance to be honest, but it’s a very welcome addition. We see bread crumbs on websites all the time, and they are a critical component to the iTunes store. Users know what they mean, so the Finder seems the perfect place to use them.

Overall a great (and needed) upgrade. I’m looking forward to using it.