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Save as in TextEdit?

I'm in TextEdit and I want to do a Save As... command but there isn't a Save As.. command. I see Save a Version command but nothing happens when I select that.


Why is this so difficult?

Thank you

Posted on Sep 6, 2012 1:50 PM

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Posted on Sep 6, 2012 2:40 PM

Well, I just read your page (thank you, again) and I'm implementing the workflow as designed and I think having to select Duplicate and then Save..., versus just selecting Save As..., is less efficient. That is my opinion, and I am welcome to have it. 😉


The Auto Save is really irrelevant to this discussion of not having Save As. I can have both.


The Save Version command is also irrelevant to Save As... I can create a version of the document I'm working in, but what if I want a new document based on the content of the current one? Save As...


I have document A and I want to have another document, document B, and have it based on document A, but with some different content. The fastest way to accomplish that, in my opinion, and the method I've been using for over 20 years, is to select Save As. I select Save As, I type in the name of document B, and then I start working in it. I have Document A and Document B on the hard drive and I'm working in the one I want to work in, which is Document B.


I don't really see how selecting Duplicate and then Save... is a better method. If Apple wants to add Duplicate to their File menu, more power to them, but I don't see how losing a feature is beneficial to me.


How is losing the Save As... command a good thing?


Now, you say I'm not well informed. What am I missing here?

47 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Sep 6, 2012 2:40 PM in response to Kappy

Well, I just read your page (thank you, again) and I'm implementing the workflow as designed and I think having to select Duplicate and then Save..., versus just selecting Save As..., is less efficient. That is my opinion, and I am welcome to have it. 😉


The Auto Save is really irrelevant to this discussion of not having Save As. I can have both.


The Save Version command is also irrelevant to Save As... I can create a version of the document I'm working in, but what if I want a new document based on the content of the current one? Save As...


I have document A and I want to have another document, document B, and have it based on document A, but with some different content. The fastest way to accomplish that, in my opinion, and the method I've been using for over 20 years, is to select Save As. I select Save As, I type in the name of document B, and then I start working in it. I have Document A and Document B on the hard drive and I'm working in the one I want to work in, which is Document B.


I don't really see how selecting Duplicate and then Save... is a better method. If Apple wants to add Duplicate to their File menu, more power to them, but I don't see how losing a feature is beneficial to me.


How is losing the Save As... command a good thing?


Now, you say I'm not well informed. What am I missing here?

Sep 6, 2012 3:27 PM in response to Kappy

Yes, one step is faster than two. 🙂


I don't want a previous version of the document. I want the latest version and I want to have a new file with a different name that has the same content that I can then change. I don't really see where restoring previous versions come into play here, but maybe I don't get it. Please explain to me, via steps, what I would do with your method that you say is more efficient.


Yes, in Mountain Lion they gave us a keyboard shortcut for a feature that isn't actually in the graphical user interface. How Microsoft of them!


It looks like I'm not the only one who thinks this "feature" is idiotic:

http://www.zdnet.com/mountain-lions-save-as-still-a-disaster-7000002179/

Sep 6, 2012 3:12 PM in response to Scot Walker

If you are asking if I prefer taking two steps to do what used to take one step, I'm afraid I haven't found that to be a problem. If you are asking if one step is faster than two, then I agree with you on that.


Since documents are constantly saved and backed up you always know that the current version is the latest version. Auto-saved versions can also be restored so you have ready access to a previous version. For many of us this is more efficient. I can always rename the current document if I need to or recover an entire series of previous versions.


Perhaps you should just upgrade to Mountain Lion where this has been changed. I'm not sure you'll like the change, but you can give it a try.

Sep 6, 2012 3:29 PM in response to Scot Walker

If you want a new file you can change, then select Duplicate to give you a copy of the current file with which to work and that can be renamed and saved.


Yes, there are lots of people who have complained here since the advent of Lion. But those who post their complaints here are a minority of users. The majority have what they requested of Apple be included in Lion. I understand you don't like it. But given the two of us it's a split decision.🙂

Sep 6, 2012 3:38 PM in response to Kappy

Right, two steps. Actually, it's three steps because I have to close the original that I duplicated because I'm not working on it anymore so I see no point in having up on my screen, creating clutter. Save As... was brilliant in 1984 and it still makes sense today. 🙂


Like I said, how is losing a feature good? We lost a feature, Save As... I really don't know why anyone would argue this is a good thing.


Final Cut Pro X doesn't have Save or Revert and that's idiotic too, but it's actually worse because it doesn't have the Version system (which has been in Motion for years, and Motion 5 still has Save, Save As..., Revert to saved, and the versions).


Amazing Apple can't even make their own applications consistent. That used to be a big reason I preferred Macs over Windows PC - continuity.


I realize I'm being a sarcastic ***, and I do appreciate your help. 🙂

Sep 6, 2012 3:56 PM in response to Scot Walker

Apple's changes are driven by consumers' demands in the marketplace. Most of Apple's recent customer base comes from the Windows world. Having left Windows they now want OS X to have all the same options. Blame the switchers (and I'm not being sarcastic.😉) After all, we live in a "majority rules" world.

Sep 7, 2012 7:48 AM in response to Kappy

Apple's decisions are driven by consumers' demands? Ha! That was a good one. So consumers don't want to author DVD or Blu-ray, don't want RED camera support, want all their iPhone dock accessories to become obsolete when they buy an iPhone 5, don't want the latest GPU for the Mac Pro...??? I could go on and on.


Man, I've been using Macs since about 1987 and I have to laugh at the idea that Apple does things because the consumers demand it. Apple is notorious for forcing their vision on consumers, and dropping technology, or not adding new technology. Sometimes they do it because it's a better solution. Sometimes they do it because they practice planned obsolecense, like many companies. Sometimes they just make a mistake (putting out FCP X the way they did).


In any case, I'm in Windows Notepad and there is a Save As feature under File.

I'm in Word for Windows and there is a Save As command.


I don't really know what you are referring to when you blame Windows users for Apple's really dumb decision to drop Save As.


Apple made a dumb move here. They aren't perfect. It's silly that you would defend this and it makes you look like the Mac fanatics that they parody.


If the majority ruled, you'd see a lot more Flash web sites right now versus sites being designed to be iPad/iPhone compatible because Apple doesn't support Flash in iOS. The idea that Apple is being dictated to by Windows users is flawed, in my opinion.

Apple is making Macs more like the iOS, not Windows. 😉

Sep 7, 2012 9:01 AM in response to Scot Walker

If you have a copy of Snow Leopard on hand, you can replace TextEdit in Lion or Mountain Lion with the version from SL to get Save As back, which will also completely eliminate Versions/Autosave for that app.


You need to use Terminal to delete the Lion version of TextEdit since Lion and Mountain Lion both insist it cannot be deleted. Make sure to put the SL version of TextEdit in your user account. Otherwise, when you do a Repair Permissions, it will destroy SL's TextEdit by trying to set its permission to where it thinks they should be for Lion. It's safe in your user account since a Repair Permissions doesn't do anything to any file or folder in user accounts.

Sep 7, 2012 12:15 PM in response to Scot Walker

You have no idea how silly your remarks are. If Apple did not listen to the market then why does the market demand Apple products? Why aren't they switching back to PCs? Why did Adobe abandon mobile Flash?


You don't like one particular aspect of OS X and make it sound like Apple will be in the poor house before next Friday. Please get real. You don't know what you are talking about or you would not make such contradictory remarks.

Dec 3, 2012 11:54 AM in response to Kappy

Kappy - your contribution is silly. Apple had no reason to change TextEdit as it worked fine before. TextEdit now drives me crazy with its laborious 'saving' process.


If you still think Apple listens to its customers I have two words for you: Apple Maps. Again, nothing wrong with Google Maps but Apple decides it knows best. Result: utter chaos.


I know it's a cliche, but it would never have happened if Steve was still alive. And as long as people like you won't accept that Apple's making mistakes it will continue to do so.


Get real, Kappy.

Save as in TextEdit?

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