Yosemite: Spotlight window small - resize?? Very unergonomic!

I also agree that this design is a step backwards. The new Spotlight looks a lot like Alfred - it's smack in the middle of the screen - but I find this obnoxious commandeering of the center screen. Sometimes I am using spotlight while referencing something in an open window on my Macbook and I need to see the window! Other times, I may be doing some quick math (again, referencing some numbers on a browser window) and this new spotlight obscures the view to the new window.

Please give users the choice to enable spotlight to dock to the right and mimic the previous functionality. Thanks.

I think you guys make great points, I wanted to point out that this is a user to user forum, which I'm sure your aware, and Apple may or may not get to see your opinion. I think you should send them feedback as to your opinion if you have not done so already. You can do so at the following link.

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

Hope that helps,

Weston

Thanks, will do.

Completely agree with the wasted space aspect and other comments. Incredible that the window is not resizable and doesn't have display options, longer names are truncated, no locations are indicated ... all files are listed several times randomly between the OS drive, and backups; without being able to tell which document is the most recent. If you stay over a grey bar, there's a little blue "show all" hidden element

That's right - hidden elements! - Why in the world is Apple resorting to hidden elements and the equivalent of easter egg hunting?! Where you have to start hovering, command clicking, in random places to discover functionality!

Anyway. I was part of the beta program and feedback about this was given as early as beta 1 or beta 2. Sadly they opted not to fix it for release; so for the time being we are stuck with more style over function; until this (and unfortunately enough many other usability regressions) bugs some Apple execs or 10.11 comes out with a new feature in the form of an enhanced spotlight window.

What we have hear folks is a problem in communication. APPLE is not listening to its customers. Instead, techies needing to justify their employment are making decisions on changing the OS that leads to 1) inefficiency and days to weeks of wasted time learning "new" stuff that amounts to trivial changes. Examples are changing dock icons that the user has become used to, making spotlight cumbersome to use with indexing problems (continually indexing) 2) while changes to the OS that would be useful are NOT HEARD or LISTENED TO.

I am a physician and use my computer for medical purposes. In this pseudo upgrade to 10.10 I have KILLED one full week with installation problems and after installation with upgrading software and spending countless hours trying to fix issues like Spotlight which were not broken before.

I agree with many of the comments made. Don't screw up my display by centering Spotlight. Leave it where it was as far back os 10.6. In fact, I think the Apple has gotten rotten in too many areas and after having purchased 2 macbook pros, 2 iMacs, 2 Airs, 1 iPad, 2 iPhones, and 1 time capsule , all since I switched to the Mac in 2005, I would consider myself a major customer of Apple. In medicine, you listen to the patient. In business, you listen to the customer. There is nothing to suggest that Apple listens to our feedback. Has anyone EVER received any kind of reply? It's just like trying to get a reply from your senator or congressmen, or the White House. It's "taxation" without representation.

Try it on a 2560x1600 monitor - it's ridiculously small. The first time I tried to drag it larger and it didn't budge I just couldn't believe it. The crazy thing is that Quicklook file preview windows are resizable... So why on earth wouldn't a window containing a quicklook window and displaying a list and even more information also be resizable?

It is indeed. I just had my first go-around with a UHD / 4K display and - I knew this was coming, simple math of the higher resolution - either everything was ridiculously small (native) or fuzzy (scaled). Disappointingly Apple still has unfinished homework when it comes to higher resolution displays.

Apple is ignoring its USERS = CUSTOMERS. It's like a doctor that does not listen to the patient but just does his or her thing. Apple, Mr. Tim Cook, if you are going to do an upgrade to the OS don't create a lot of pseudo enhancements that cause more grief than pleasure. If you are going to customize Spotlight then really customize it:

1. Option to have it centered or in a corner just like Spaces.

2. Size option

3. Color option. Note that if you use Dark Mode in System Preferences (General) to darken menu bar and dock, Spotlight is also black and you can't read what you are typing.

4. Note that Dark Mode also hides dark icons in the menubar so that you have to mouse over or guess where a particular icon is. Solution to 3 & 4 is DON"T USE the pseudo upgrade of "dark mode". Or optionally, use it and then look for an app to reverse the downsides.

Apple, your upgrades to the OS since 10.6 suck in my opinion. Improve the Finder simply by adopting Total Finder or Path Finder or something. Don't keep changing icons in the dock that we have become used to over years. It's like my wife having plastic surgery while I am sleeping and I wake up to a stranger. C'mon, Apple.

I have to agree that this window should be resizable. For me Spotlight never worked well in finding files anyway... I never understood how that thing worked, it's been designed for engineers by engineers... they need to bring in old people as beta testers and see how real people search...

I know this is an aging topic but I just wanted to add my voice. Spotlight window should be resizable and, ideally, not in the middle of the screen.

Even worse, to see the path of a Spotlight result, you have to highlight it and then hit Command.

And even worse than that is I can't see the whole path because the window is too small!

Anyone have a way around this? The first part of a moderately long path is missing.

We have to be able to see the path, right?

Update:

First, everyone should do this (should be the default):

With only Finder open, click View > Show path bar.

Then use this shortcut:

Com + Opt + spacebar to bring up an old fashioned spotlight window that is resizable. The path will be included, if you enabled as above.

Wow! I am new to this topic, having just upgraded to Yosemite, but thanks for that. You saved the day before I became very irate. : )

Apple must be hiring a bunch of Windows people because that little dialog box is bulls#it.

I tried "With only Finder open, click View > Show path bar" but don't see 'show path bar'.

Please advise.

Thanks.