Finder views underwent significant changes with the release of Leopard. Most notably, the addition of Cover Flow view brings the list of Finder views up to four possibilities. Apple retained Icon view as the default, but the three additional views (List, Column, and the new Cover Flow) are Finder views that can open up new ways of looking at the files and folders you have stored on your Mac.
Using Finder Views
Finder views offer four different ways of looking at the files and folders stored on your Mac. Most new Mac users tend to work with only one of the four Finder views: Icon, List, Column, or Cover Flow. Working in one Finder view may not seem like a bad idea. After all, you will become very adept at the ins and outs of using that view. But it’s probably much more productive in the long run to learn how to use each Finder view, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each view.
In this guide, we will examine the four Finder views and how to access them, and learn the best time to use each type of view.
Icon View Options
The Finder’s Icon view is the default view for folders. In Icon view, each object in a folder is represented by icons. This lets you quickly and easily identify what an object is. For instance, folders stand out because of the folder icon they use. Microsoft Word files have their own icon, or if your Mac supports it, Word files may display a thumbnail view of the first page in the document.
Icon view has a lot going for it. You can rearrange icons in any order you wish, quickly sort icons, and clean up any mess you may have created in arranging icons. You can also control a great deal about how the icons look and behave.
List View Options
The Finder’s List view is one of the most versatile ways of displaying information about items in a folder. In List view, each object in a folder is displayed with its name and an assortment of additional data arranged in column view, much like a spreadsheet.
List view has a lot going for it. You can rearrange columns in any order you wish, or quickly sort by column in ascending or descending order just by clicking on the name of the column. If you’re viewing a folder in the Finder in List view, here are some additional options that will help you control how List view looks and behaves.
Column View Options
The Finder’s Column view is a way to quickly and easily see where an item exists within the hierarchical view of the Mac’s file system. To accomplish this, Column view shows the parent folder and any subfolders the item resides within, each represented in its own column.
If you’re viewing a folder in the Finder in Column view, here are some additional options that will help you control how Column view looks and behaves.
Cover Flow Options
The Finder’s Cover Flow view is an amalgam of List view and Apple’s Quick View technology, which lets you see the actual content of a Finder item within its icon. Cover Flow breaks the Finder window into two distinct panes, with the standard List view at the bottom and Cover Flow view at the top. If you select an item in one pane, it will be highlighted in both panes. The advantages of Cover Flow view are how quickly you can scan through all the items in a folder, using the Cover Flow slider, and the ability to see an item’s content in Icon view as you scan through the items.
If you’re viewing a folder in the Finder in Cover Flow view, here are some additional options that will help you control how it looks and behaves.
