Finder is so frustrating and has been since day one

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Mac users are sharply divided over Finder, with many calling it the worst mainstream file manager for hiding the filesystem, relying on non‑discoverable shortcuts, and making basic tasks like merging folders, navigating paths, or finding recent files more confusing than on Windows or Linux. Others defend it as perfectly adequate or even superior once you learn column view, keyboard shortcuts, tags, and tweaks like enabling the path bar or hidden files. The thread also highlights a broader tension between hierarchical folder organization and newer “stream” or search‑driven approaches, including third‑party tools that promise smarter, content‑aware ways to locate files.

Overall sentiment toward Finder

  • Many commenters find Finder frustrating or “worst in class,” especially compared to Windows Explorer, Dolphin, or other Linux file managers.
  • A substantial minority likes or even prefers Finder, especially with column view, QuickLook, tags, and keyboard shortcuts.
  • Several argue that preferences are largely driven by what users first learned (Windows vs macOS vs Linux).

Concrete pain points

  • Keyboard behavior: Enter renames instead of opening; open is Cmd+O or Cmd+Down, which many find unintuitive.
  • Path visibility and navigation: Path bar and full filesystem view exist but are hidden behind options; “go to folder” (Cmd+Shift+G) and copy-path features are seen as obscure.
  • File operations: Confusion around folder merge vs replace; cut/move semantics require non-obvious shortcuts; right-click “new file” is missing; creating a new folder in a crowded view is awkward.
  • Views & discoverability: Views forget state; hidden files toggle and other key shortcuts are considered “secret” because they don’t appear clearly in menus.
  • Network and search: Poor behavior on SMB/network volumes; Spotlight and Finder search are reported as slow, unreliable, or resource-hungry by some.

Defenses of Finder

  • Supporters emphasize column view, QuickLook (spacebar preview), tags, hierarchical and list views, and keyboard-driven navigation as powerful once learned.
  • They argue that many complaints stem from unfamiliarity and not exploring menus/settings.
  • Some assert Explorer is worse: odd top-level hierarchy, libraries, folders forced on top, and sluggish file I/O.

Alternatives and workarounds

  • Many rely on the terminal (find, open) or tools like mc, Linux VMs, Alfred, KRunner, iTerm2, Hammerspoon, Karabiner, and third‑party file managers (Forklift, PathFinder, Bloom, etc.).
  • There’s nostalgia for orthodox dual-pane managers and a sense that expert users outgrow GUI file managers.

Kepter/“stream” approach discussion

  • The linked app is widely seen as a thinly veiled marketing post, though some appreciate the idea for non-technical users.
  • It presents a single “stream” of files with content-aware search (e.g., “the $1200 receipt from March”), downplaying folders.
  • Critics doubt it scales, worry it doesn’t really solve Finder’s issues, and argue semantic/vector search or better tagging might be more valuable.