Q: I hate the new tags in Mavericks, need coloured folders!!

Adam Meath wrote:

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Unfortunatey, neither XtraFinder or TotalFinder are able to restore color labels to the desktop (yet) but interestingly labels will still appear within icon view in regular folders (they are a bit blocky however). There must be a specific issue that causes the Desktop to react differently.

I have TotalFinder set to auto-install updates -- and I see that a recent update must have figured out how to do the Desktop items as well.  My desktop items now have colors applied behind the label names!  That's for files, folders, and aliases.

keriah, isn't this what you want: XtraFinder Preferences/Appearance/Legacy label color painting. Check "Enabled for Desktop."  That colors the labels for me, although not the folder icon itself, if that is what you were seeking.

Thanks keriah, I had not enabled auto-update for TotalFinder, but once I did that and upgraded to version 1.5.33 I also found that labels work on the desktop now too. Thanks for pointing that out.

I think they actually look better than the original labels in Mountain Lion.

DABbio wrote:

keriah, isn't this what you want: XtraFinder Preferences/Appearance/Legacy label color painting. Check "Enabled for Desktop."  That colors the labels for me, although not the folder icon itself, if that is what you were seeking.

Yes, indeed!  I do want that!!  (I was replying to Adam, who had originally let me know about TotalFinder, and who had commented that it didn't color things on the desktop.  In its recent updates it now does.)

I had originally tried XtraFinder but it lacked one behavior that was a critical need (for me):  the ability to multi-select items by dragging across them in a List-view Finder window.  Adam pointed me to TotalFinder which restored that, along with the label coloring.

What the **** were the Programmers thinking? I have been using Apple products from the very start and have used Labeling all these years. And then it seems arbitrarily they pulled labels. This caused me to have to go back to system 10.8 and spend a bunch of $s with a consultant to make that happen!! Apple, you really screwed up on this! Bring Labels back!!

lazorik ~ Welcome to the Support Communities.

lazorik wrote:

 

Apple, you really screwed up on this! Bring Labels back!!

We're all users like yourself here — to send feedback to Apple, use this form:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

Felt the pain with the tags, always liked colored folders, clean easy recognition,..... frustrated NO MORE!

download IconXprit from CNET, customize the color your way .

You might want to reconsider that. Supposedly CNET has been downloading things besides the application you chose to download. Pop-up ads and worse.

I posted here fairly early on, complaining like the rest about how labels were replaced by tags, and how tags were less useful for me personally. And I told Apple, too.

I've been using the new system for a while now, so I thought I'd report back.

I've found, in fact, that the new coloured dots do a perfectly good job of drawing my eyes to particular files (I always use List view), which is one of the main things I used labels for. I also find the dots work fine to differentiate groups of files, my other main use for labels: a bunch of green dots do indeed tell me easily that I've done something to them, and a bunch of orange ones tell me they still require something to be done, for example.

I'm surprised that it's worked out that way, but I can't lie: it's certainly been my experience now that I've actually used the damned dots for a while.

The same applies to folders in List view: the coloured dots draw my eye to something and will differentiate groups. What the dots are still not good at is highlighting a folder that sits on my desktop. Labels gave them a nice easy-to-spot colour overall. The dots just don't do it. And the same complaint might apply in Icons view, but I don't use that.

Just my experience, of course, but I thought I'd chuck it in for what it's worth.

(PS: I do apologise for posting about the actual subject of this thread: I promise I'll try to come up with a witless personal attack next time.)

I also complained early.

And while I have tried using them I just... don't.

I have not used XtraFinder or TotalFinder, or whatever they are because I don't like bolting applications on.

I just live in List mode navigating in a sea of folder files and titles, with the old coloured dots still floating around like colured snow on a TV that has lost its antenna.

I live in the hope that Apple finally integrate coloured folders back  into their system.

Not much hope though.

For example in Mail in Mavericks I can copy and paste all the header stuff, recipient, subject and title into each separate job file in keep in Word, but I can NOT include thet date and TIME received.

When did I receive this vital email?

"Well," some loose-cannon designer in Apple must ahve said "that doesn't matter any more."

"It's important for you to see. Of course. Vital.

"But not important in your job history.

I tried a bolt-on app to copy and paste the date into Word, but even in that I have to scroll to get the date, take that accross,  then come back and scroll down and get a time, and take that across.

I can't automate it with Quickeys either.

It's basically impossible to paste the date and time of every email in another appliction outside Mail. 

Overall, I remain deeply convinced that some Mavericks-era Apple design-people have never worked in a real world job, and that they swan about "surviving meetings" with improessive  "innovations."

And I think that other people who have never had a real job approve them!

I hope I am wrong. I hope they remember as their sales gently decline that we use Apple computers  in business -- not social media.

Speed of navigation, and concise job histories, are needed out here.

Freshness of design is useful only when the ergonomics actually improve things, not go backwards.

scoop3 wrote:

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For example in Mail in Mavericks I can copy and paste all the header stuff, recipient, subject and title into each separate job file in keep in Word, but I can NOT include thet date and TIME received.

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Hmmm...  I can see the date and TIME received in my Mail message's header data.  And I can copy/paste it (like this:  Received: ... Wed, 16 Apr 2014 06:55:04 -0700 (PDT)

IAC, I too really really resist 'bolt ons' but Xtrafinder (and the one I ended up with - TotalFinder) are pretty darn painless.  The joy of having coloring back (for those of us missing it dearly) far outweighs my concerns about dabbling with the OS.  You might consider giving one of them a try and seeing for yourself.

Thanks Keriah I appreciate both your comments and info.

I may relent and give XtraFinder a go after all my doubts.

Tell me how did you copy the date and time of an email in Mail?

I press command + A on the header and get everything except date and time

Can you tell me your exact steps it's very valuable.

There is nothing wrong with adding system add-ons that either enhance the user experience on OS X or replace functionality that Apple decided to do away with.

I have a about a half dozen system add-on programs and other applications that enhance the overall OS X user experience and make things a little easier and more efficient to do.

One piece of functionality that I missed when OS X first came out was you used to be able to roll up windows like a window shade. I missed and used this function A LOT!

i have an add-on app that brought that functionality back and still works in OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

One of the myriad of reasons why I still do not use the new OS X Mavericks on a regular basis is that there is nothing out there, currently, that will bring this window shade functionality back into Mavericks.

No one has developed an add-on application for this function to return and use in Mavericks.

Mavericks otherwise runs great on my Mac for times when I have used it, but I have a lot of older software I cannot afford to upgrade to Mavericks version at this point.

So, it's another reason for my staying tightly tied to my tried and true OS X Snow Leopard.

Arguably, THE BEST VERSION of what, originally,  OS X used to be and should've continued to be improved upon.

Anyhoo...

Just pointing out that some system add-on software that does good things to improve the OS experience and actually makes the OS better are good things to install.

Just don't go crazy with them.

IMO.

The users of the system mac apple Mavericks 10.9.2 should conduct a global and international petition calling with the apple mac company the ability to use even the labels to identify the files. The tag system is really not easy to identify files, especially for the visually impaired. There are no fingers be too difficult for mac apple engineers to leave the mac apple Mavericks system to identify files at a time the system label AND/OR tag system.

Thank you for your attention to this request. Lutins from the western of France

Hello, I think it is really necessary to gather as many people around the world to say in a loud voice to Apple mac managers and engineers : YOU WANT TO HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF FILES WITH COLORED MAVERICKS 10.9.2 SYSTEM  : Revert to the Mountain Lion style labels instead/or with of Mavericks tags . Do you ability to route these messages to your friends who share this opinion Thank you Lutins from France