Brandnewuserid wrote:
Do any third party programs actually provide a ‘File Explorer type clone view’ for Finder, so showing two panes, with all and only fully expandable folders in the left pane, and the opened folders and all files in the right pane?
To save you some time, I checked those "ten-best" lists. The apps that I recognize are Path Finder and Commander One. Both advertise a "dual pane" user experience. I've never used either of them. But they are both apps that have been around for a long time, so I recognize them.
I'm a bit skeptical of Commander One because it is Mac App Store app. Obviously there's nothing wrong with that. It's a smart move from a business perspective. But it seems like a Finder replacement would be hamstrung by Mac App Store technical restrictions. To be fair, that's totally a guess on my part.
If not, plausibly, why not?
Because it is virtually impossible to make a living writing Mac-only software. So your chances of finding a high-quality, well-supported Finder clone is very low. And the future of the few such apps you will find is short. I checked out the developer of Path Finder and found pretty much what I expected - someone very similar to myself. Us old guys are getting more interested in retirement than writing great Mac apps. Those of us who still need to make some money before retirement probably realize that Mac apps aren't going to do that for us.
I did a similar check for Commander One and found the other most likely developer for such an app. While there is certainly nothing wrong with this, I do find it strange that such a significant portion of all Mac software is written by a small group of globe-trotting Ukrainian guys.
It's really not about people trying to argue with you about the Finder. They sincerely want you to have a good experience. Attempting to reproduce the behaviour of some foreign operating system is always going to lead to a poor user experience, regardless of platform. If you want to give your money to some indie developer, go for it. They certainly deserve it. I know I would never attempt such an app. As far as apps go, it would be relatively easy. But it's just a horrible marketing decision. And I'm an expert at horrible marketing decisions.
