Path Finder 4.0 released

"What additional features does it add that you feel justify the price?"

The reverse is also a good question - just how much creeping featuritis is one prepared to put up with in a program?

For example, do text editing and the CLI belong in a file browser?

I'm undecided at the moment. I'm using Path Finder for awhile to see how I like it. It is a very good-looking program.

It's nice to be able to toggle file invisibility on and off easily, and good to have quick access to an equivalent to the "Start" button on other platforms for program launching (as OS X doesn't provide that). File management is slick - the drop-stack and the "copy" and "move" functions. I guess the breadcrumbs trail is nice - though hardly essential. It's also nice to be able to tar and gzip files and folder in the GUI (although that's not too inconvenient at the CLI).

However, many of Path Finder's functions could be got through other programs: Ranchero's TigerLaunch for a similar launch functionality, TextEdit or SubEthaEdit for text-editing, Xfile for traditional file-browsing/file-auditing, Terminal for the command line. This makes the purchase less compelling that it might otherwise be.

There certainly are some nice features. There are also far too many features. Expanded on disk, even with the extra languages removed, Path Finder is inexorably moving towards the 30Mb mark. Large packages like this are bearable with the larger hard disks of these days, but they are inevitably buggier.

So far I have only encountered one real problem - Path Finder cannot eject my firewire drive, so that I have to re-start Finder to accomplish that.

I'm going to use it for a few more days and then decide whether or not I think it is worth my buying it.

Very impressed. I happened to write a post that turned into a mini-review on my site; check it out if you're curious about PF4.

http://www.awhitespace.net/news/comments.php?id=P384_0_1_0

This is a significant upgrade. I have tried every release since it was snax, and with each one, I thought it's not there yet... it's got to be good enough to replace the Finder to use. Previous versions offered lots of features, but the interface was a little "off" and though it offered features not easily accessible from the Finder, or availalbe at all, it just wasn't polished enough (I mean skins/themes like "hello kitty". Come on).

This release is the first one where I am seriously testing as a replacement for the Finder, which is in need of a serious upgrade. It's 100% Cocoa, something the Finder has yet to achieve, it's got an amazing UI, much improved over the previous (an now a slick icon to replace that crap from before), it's incredibly customizable, has a built in terminal window that slides out when needed, and many many other cool components, like the shelf, a "path" view, everything the Finder has done better, plus its most incredible new feature, TABS! Just like Safari, well sort of like Safari, but better. It enables you to open new tabs instead of a new Finder window, which keeps things nice and tidy, and you can drag files in between tabs. This thing is bitch'n.

So, I'm going to be giving this thing a beating of test now--and I have a feeling from what I've seen so far, I'll be paying for this puppy before the trial is up and replacing the Finder (I have already turned the Finder off for my little test). For me, this is up there with Quicksilver now as far as usefullness goes (or Launchbar, or Butler if you use those).

I'll send the TUAW guys a link to my review on this thing. I'm going to do a little write up now, and then one after a couple weeks of testing. The only thing though that I can see getting in my way of purchasing right now is if there are any stability/performance/conflict problems. So far, I have seen nothing like that.

F%#^ 'n amazing so far.

I've been using PF since ver. 2.x. It's a must-have for me.
It's like having everything you need from the Finder (plus more) in one organized place.
I appreciate the selecting and sorting abilities, as well as the ease of moving files.
The Drop Stack is a super cool innovation; the new integration with Spotlight works too.
Hey, it's uncrippled for a 21-day trial. Try it for 3 weeks.
You will fork over the change at the end.

PathFinder is a Finder replacement, essentially. It is an advanced finder with built in preview and editing capabilities, more customizable views, better organization, and many viewing options. It's kind of hard to describe all of the features without visiting Cocoatech's site.
I highly recommend this piece of software . . . it really is great great great.

This thing is freaking AWESOME. I had already played a bit with each one of the past releases (even back when it was still called SNAX), but none of the previous versions could really replace the Finder for me...simply because of performance issues.
Path Finder 4 is just fantastic, features-wise and performance-wise.

i like this app. never heard of it before - thanks. never thought of improving upon finder. i love the tabs and the overall ui very muc. are there any competitors before i part with my cash?

Yeah, this post doesn't actually contain any information.

Especially for $35? Scott, can you explain here, or in a new post even, why you like Path Finder? What created the need? What additional features does it add that you feel justify the price?

How many file managers do we need?