Single Click in OS X: is that possible?

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Level 1

9 points

Single Click in OS X: is that possible?

Hello,
Is it possible to switch from double click to single click in OS X? I don't find anywhere in system preferences giving me this option!

Thanks, Ramin

Power Mac G5, Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Nov 10, 2007 10:19 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Roger Wilmut1

Level 10

131,534 points

Nov 11, 2007 2:27 AM in response to raminolta

No: but you could probably use a third-party program such as USB Overdrive to reconfigure your mouse's behaviour.

Houwever if you are using a single button mouse you would leave yourself unable to enter a single click which would block you from a number of functions, such as highlighting a file. You could use a Mighty Mouse, or a mouse or traskball with extra buttons, and configure one of those to give you a double-click: I have done exactly that with my trackball.

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Answer 2

Kurt Lang

Level 9

68,568 points

Nov 11, 2007 11:26 AM in response to raminolta

The only things I can think of that have ever been set up in either the Mac OS or Windows as a single click to activate/launch something are web browser links and the Dock in OS X. If you have a one or two button mouse, it's always been a double click for everything else.

That said, I have the the scroll wheel/button of the Logitech mouse I use with the button assigned as a double click so I do only need to click on something once. It's become such a habit to move my finger to the center button to perform a single click that acts as a double click that I don't even think about it anymore.

See if the software that came with your mouse will allow the same.

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Answer 3

Kurt Lang

Level 9

68,568 points

Nov 11, 2007 2:48 PM in response to RobertFisher

Hi Robert,

Yes, there are various ways through menus and keyboard shortcuts to launch a program or open an item without double clicking on it, but that wasn't the OP's question. They want to be able to do that by clicking on the item once without doing anything else.

The Finder in OS X will let you do the same thing OS 9 did. Highlight the item by clicking on it once and then press Command+O. Same as OS 9. If it's an app, it'll launch. If it's a file of some sort, it will launch the associated app and then open in that app. You can also add anything to the Dock in OS X. Once there, it's a one click launch.

A double-click, however, should never be required.

It needs to be a requirement. How else would the system know whether you were clicking, say on a Photoshop document, once just to highlight it or to open it? If everything required only once click, you would constantly be opening files or launching applications you didn't intend to. There has to be a say to separate the meaning of your actions without always having to resort to a second action after first clicking on an item in order to do something with it.

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Answer 4

Nov 11, 2007 2:06 PM in response to Kurt Lang

Actually, this was a feature of the Finder in OS 9.

The only way I know—off hand—to do this in OS X is to switch the user to Simple Finder. (System Preferences, Accounts, Parental Controls, Finder.app & System, Configure...)

A double-click, however, should never be required. (Since some people have trouble executing double-clicks, programs should always offer alternatives. Or, more accurately, double-clicks should be short-cuts for something that can be done without a double-click.)

For instance, if you want to launch an application in the Finder, you can select it and then choose “Open” from the “File” menu. Or if you have the toolbar showing in the Finder window, you can choose it from the Action menu in the toolbar. Or you can choose it from the context menu (accessed through by single-clicking with the control key held or with a second mouse button on a properly configured mouse).

Hope that helps.

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Answer 5

raminolta Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 14, 2007 2:46 PM in response to raminolta

Thanks guys for the inputs. I am relatively new to OS X and need to learn many things. I understand OS X heavily relies on keyboard for fast operation. I need to learn to effectively use the keyboard.

It is my understanding that the desktop environment and GUI of OS X are not meant to be much configurable. Very few options are given to configure the desktop according to one's preferences. It is less configurable than Windows even though Windows is not much configurable itself. I was using Linux before and KDE was my favorite Desktop environment for its many configurable options.

However, I am surprised that even the option of single-click is taken out. I even noticed there is no way to make a file or directory hidden within GUI. Of course, i can do it in command line by renaming and adding a dot to the beginning of the name but many users are not aware of that option. The ability of encrypting or setting a password on a specific file or directory is useful too.

Don't get me wrong. I am overall positive about OS X. It sounds solid, stable and secure. Things could be improved though and adding some more configuration options certainly does not hurt.

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Answer 6

raminolta Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 11, 2007 10:50 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Thanks for the replies. Well, I didn't think I would have to pay just for just being able to use my mouse in single click mode but that is good to know this option is possible.Of course, I am using a mouse with three buttons (right, left, middle) so it makes sense switching to single click. As a matter of fact, new Apple mice have more than one click. They even have a mouse wheel.

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Answer 7

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

Nov 10, 2007 10:46 PM in response to raminolta

Exactly what are you trying to do?

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