Enter key does not open the file

You made an excellent point and seriously, I've said this from the beginning of time and I'll say it again, it's the Apple fanboys that make me hate Apple and their products. It's just like talking to a cult fanatic.

Whenever a user of multiple platforms uses a Mac or any other Apple product and says "This doesn't really make sense", Apple fanboys come and say one of two things: "You don't really need it" or "You've been brainwashed." Well, guess what. As a Windows user, I respect some features that Mac OS X has and wish that Windows might have it. And I'm pretty sure any Windows user would say "I wish Windows would have this." But you talk to a Apple fanboy and tell them Apple might've done it wrong, they can't admit that Apple actually could do something worse than Microsoft and get super defensive. Sorry, but don't identify yourself with Apple that much because Apple just sees you as a consumer.

Back to the original point. You go to a website. You type in a keyword and press enter. What do you expect? You expect an execution. You press tab and your selection cursor moves to the "search" icon. You press enter. What do you expect? You expect an execution. Now, let's say, when doing the same thing in Safari, the default behavior was change text or show properties of the icon. What would you say?

There's a million other ways to prove that Finder is backwards. You go to Terminal and type in a file name and press enter. What do you expect? You expect execution. Because that's most likely behavior to be expected when you select a file--or type a filename, for that matter. If the default behavior of "./filename + return" combination was to rename a file and in order to run the file you actually had to type something like "./filename run + return" that would be called unintuitive because "it adds an extra step for something that you do most often." Selecting a file in Finder is quite the same as typing in a filename and waiting. Pressing the return key to run a file, makes much more sense.

Dear Apple fanboys,

Please do one of two things: either admit you're an Apple fanboy and that you'd buy whatever they sold even if they sold a bag of crap, or accept some constructive common-sense criticism and think for yourself, instead of mindlessly saying "we don't need that."

I get that the Mac is different that Windows and I know most people here hate it when Windows users come in and ask for their Mac to work like Windows. However, when it comes to being able to open a file or launch an app by hitting the enter key, I have to respectfully disagree.

Don't think of this request as a Windows user trying to change the Mac. Think of it as normal, logical behavior for a user interface. A good UI should default to whatever the most common task is and for files its open them not renaming them. Can anyone actually say they rename files more often than they open them? Its absurd when you think about it.

If that argument doesn't work, then how about being consistent across Apple OS's? iOS certainly defaults a tap on an application to launch it, not rename it. Virtually all iOS apps that I've used that manage files also default to opening a file when you tap on it as well.

At the very least, this should be a simple SETTING in the OS. They did this when they introduced reverse scrolling in Lion (made it optional via a setting) and they absolutely do this for the default behavior of the enter key in Finder. This is dead simple to implement and die-hard Mac users that still want enter to rename their files can leave the setting that way.

Of course you don't hit enter on an iPhone, but I would say its pretty commonly agreed that pressing enter on a file s the equivalent to clicking on it with a mouse or tapping on it from a touch-screen device.

This is normal behavior for everything except for Finder on the Mac. In fact, the built-in and 3rd-party Mac apps that display a list of files let you press enter on the file or directory to open it. Its ONLY Finder that doesn't work that way.

At any rate, my whole point is NOT to try to get everyone to agree on what the enter key should do in Finder, but rather to have Apple simply give us the OPTION to either have it open or rename the file. This really should be a no-brainer.

"You expect an execution."

Absolutely agree!

Apple, please, we don't ask You to change your fanboys, we asking to give as possibility 'Think different'. We need only another option.

Thank you in advance.

To all the users who think the Enter/Return key does not need any change,

I will have to wholeheartedly agree with user timnicholson on this issue. Just because this is how Apple has made their keyboard layout since however many years ago, does NOT mean it is logical. I will have to ask again: SERIOUSLY, how many times will you rename a file?!

Just because you're used to Mac's Enter/Return key's function, again, does not make it logical. In order to open a file on a Mac, you need to press either Command + O, Command + [down] or double click with your mouse (also right click and select open). Tell me how that is MORE LOGICAL than pressing the Enter key to open a file???

Opening a file should be a simple ordeal. Mac has made it so you need to press TWO keys to open a file, whereas in Windows the users only press ONE key. To whomever reads this, I'm sorry but if you think Mac's Enter/Return makes sense or is BETTER than Windows' Enter key function, you are stupid in regards to this matter.

It is natural for most % of people to understand that when a folder is touched with finger on any smart phone screen it opens the folder and similarly it comes in mind by default that when enter key is pressed on a folder it should open the folder... i.e. I enter a new level or I execute the command or execute the app/file.

For me Enter key is for execution. To go to the next level.

I am new to Mac. Why is such a big button on the keyboard "enter / return" dedicated for renaming? What does "enter" or "return" mean in case of mac?

I seriously cant beleive how precious some people are on here in terms of defending the mac.

i have just switched over to a mac from being a lifetime windows user. i have always had apple products, had iphone since the 1st one, the only thing missing was a mac which i now have.

i love it and much prefer it to windows.

however not being able to accept and recognise certain things in my opinion is just silly and petty.

i cant prove it as i havent asked this question to everyone in the world but i would suggest that most people would associate the enter key as being just that - enter.

therefore if you have highlighted something in finder and you hit the enter key, logically it would make more sense for it to open that file rather then go to rename it. regardless of if you are a long term mac user and are used to it or not.

similarly when a window pops up for example in mail when you cancel a new email and it asks you if you want to save the draft or not, common sense should dicate that when you press enter it automatically executes the button thats highlighted (which is the 'save' button by default). and if you press right or left keys common sense would tell you it would move the highlighted key to the next button ie discard or cancel etc but again it doesn't do this.

Two things

1) I never said I can't stand Apple products. I said I can't stand people who think they found the answer to life by using Apple products. The fact that I don't like other users doesn't mean I can't buy products.

2) I'm not one to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The fact that I don't like some features--though they are frustrating--doesn't mean I don't want to use the whole thing. The thing I hate is how you guys think the bathwater is fine and keep using the same dirty water and tell others your bathwater rocks and other kinds of water suck so bad. And when someone points out it's maybe time to change the bathwater you get defensive and say "who needs to change their bathwater"

It's fine if you keep it to yourself. Just don't go about acting like you're superior for choosing Apple and making fun of PC users. Like " Oh, you go to the gym? Well, I do crossfit..."

chenchao wrote:

whenever i hit the enter key on a file in finder, the highlighted file does not open rather is ready to be renamed. how can change this? thanks.

You don't change it. You use the correct commands, like cmd-O, cmd-downArrow, or double-click it.

chenchao wrote:

whenever i hit the enter key on a file in finder, the highlighted file does not open rather is ready to be renamed. how can change this?

You don't. You've got a Mac, learn to work on a Mac. If you like the Windows way of doing things, stay with Windows.

Switch 101: On Windows, I used to...

<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2514>

timnicholson wrote:

Of course you don't hit enter on an iPhone, but I would say its pretty commonly agreed that pressing enter on a file s the equivalent to clicking on it with a mouse or tapping on it from a touch-screen device.

Not in my 27 years of using a computer.

This is normal behavior for everything except for Finder on the Mac. In fact, the built-in and 3rd-party Mac apps that display a list of files let you press enter on the file or directory to open it. Its ONLY Finder that doesn't work that way.

That's because pressing the enter key is a surrogate for clicking on the default button. A button isn't an icon.

At any rate, my whole point is NOT to try to get everyone to agree on what the enter key should do in Finder, but rather to have Apple simply give us the OPTION to either have it open or rename the file. This really should be a no-brainer.

Good luck with that. Apple hasn't provided many options for anything at all.

timnicholson wrote:

I get that the Mac is different that Windows and I know most people here hate it when Windows users come in and ask for their Mac to work like Windows.

Good. We're half way there.

Think of it as normal, logical behavior for a user interface.

Exactly. A normal, logical behaviour for a user interface is the way Mac users have been doing it for decades!

Joking aside, your problem is that you assume that there is a single "normal" and "logical" behaviour for a user interface. I suggest you need to examine your assumption.

how about being consistent across Apple OS's?

Why? Should the controls on the Honda Civic be "consistent" with the controls on a Honda motorcycle?

opening a file when you tap on it

AFAIC, the Mac equivalent of a "tap on it" is pressing ⌘↓

At the very least, this should be a simple SETTING in the OS

Really? If there were a setting for everything some users might like to change, then there would have to be more RAM allocated to settings than to running the OS.

If you don't like it, there is a simple solution -- use Windows. Or, a more complicated, '*******' solution -- replace Finder with another file browser. There's Path Finder, Disk Order, MuCommander, Xfolders… If the one you like doesn't offer the feature you want, write to the developer and ask for it.

Barney-15E wrote:

Not in my 27 years of using a computer.

Hear, hear!

That's because pressing the enter key is a surrogate for clicking on the default button. A button isn't an icon.

I would call it a shortcut rather than a surrogate, but the point is clearly made.

I agree with timnicholson, that from the user experience point of view it makes logical sense to associate the enter key with opening the file than to rename it. It's a usability absurdity with the Finder. How absurd is it to have to use "Command+o" to open a file when, the activity of opening a file is done more frequently than the activity of renaming the file. And so it should be made more accessible. Any kid can tell you that using an Enter key is more accessible than using a combination of keys. If somebody is contending this then they should understand usability first.