Mac 101: A simple trick to rename files

@ 12, in Panther, you used to be able to rename folders at least from save dialogs. This is pretty much the only change that really aggravated me too.

In Leopard I believe the 'Return' key will (by default and I think there will be a preference) not highlight the entire text of the filename, but rather just the bit before the extension (hopefully unlike Windows it will be before the last dot not the first).

Good for changing the name without changing the extension, but I'm sure it will be annoying in ways as well - I always like to press 'Return' then copy the (entire) filename for use in another document eg HTML or TeX.

Rather than cClick-Return, why not type the first few chars of the file and then return. Much faster than finding the mouse, centering it on the file, clicking...

Wow, all these years and I never knew that one.

Thanks I ust love these Mac 101 tips. Been using the click pause claick method but the click return method is starting to make more sense.

@ 20: Well, I was just suggesting an alternative, then. Take it or leave it.

@ 19:
You didn't get me right ...

I meant, with all Versions of Mac OS X before Tiger you only had to click once on an icons name to rename it! Simply selecting it on its name field was enough ...

With Tiger now you have to click a second time! That definately has nothing to do with click-speed ...

16. @ 4 and 7: Actually, if I'm not mistaken, the speed shifting of an inactive tag to an active one might be controlled via the Keyboard & Mouse preference pane, under Mouse: the Double-Click Speed. If the clicking speed is adjusted at Fast, the name field will be more prompt to activate. However, I'm not an especially fast clicker so I have it adjusted a nudge lower, which necessitates a slightly more prolonged pause after my first click.

Thanks i'll start mixing up my afternoons with this trick & experiment with some others ways that readers said, or using scripts like this guy below:

http://www.bradrice.com/wposx/archives/41

-http://thunkdifferent.com

@ 4 and 7:

Absolutely true!
Why the hell did Apple change that behaviour?
Until Panther one could rename files in Icon-View by simply selecting it + a short pause (that is: Click + Pause). Worked perfektly every time! Even renaming a bunch of files was easy back then ...

Now with Tiger we have to do Click-Pause-Click. And as if this was not stupid enough, sometimes you have to do a third Click, for no visible reason, Annoying!

Please Apple, change that back in Leopard, since i still believe, this must be a Tiger-Bug!