10.4.9 Finder wonkiness

Maybe this “change” to the Finder was implemented in an earlier update and I just missed it. But it seems like something I would have noticed before. After updating to 10.4.9 (which, went without a hitch on both of my systems- whew!), there is a strange change in the Finder.

Before, if you wanted to create a new window in the Finder, you used the Apple-N command. Apple-Shift-N created a folder in the Finder.

Now, post 10.4.9 update, to create a new window in the Finder, you press Apple-1. While a change this minor wouldn’t normally bother me, there is a catch. You see, the Finder already has reserved Apple-1 for another function. Under View, you can see that Apple-1, 2, and 3 are for switching between Finder views (Icon, List, and Columns).

Here’s an image of the new keyboard shortcut for creating a new Finder window. Here’s an image of the 10.4.8 Finder.

What makes this even more confusing is that Apple-1 is now contextually sensitive. Meaning, if you press Apple-1 after clicking on the desktop, you get one new Finder window. If you immediately press it again, it would appear that nothing happens. In reality, the Finder is switching to Icon view. So, with no Windows open or selected, Apple-1 will open a new Finder Window. With a Finder Window selected, it will change to icon view.

I’m pretty certain this behavior didn’t exist in 10.4.8. For Apple to change something like this for a minor release is kind of unnerving, especially when you consider it wasn’t in the documentation.

UPDATE: I checked with a friend still running 10.4.8, and indeed, the command used in 10.4.8 is Apple-N.

Category: News