For a long time now I’ve been thinking the following after mounting a new apps disk image:

“Why did they open the Finder without the toolbar? Now I have to click the stupid toolbar button just so I can drag the app to my Applications folder as they suggest.”

I justified this two ways:

1) Finder is much easier on the eyes and helps a customized folder with nice icons and such when it’s not in “metal mode”.

2) Maybe that’s just how finder mounts image. Although I’m 96% sure I’ve mounted images that were opened in “metal mode”. Maybe they weren’t custom.

One of the worst offenders of this (that I’ve seen) goes to Camino (no offense to the end product, just the .dmg packaging). The Finder window that opens is pretty and even shows that I should drag the beautiful Camino icon to the Applications folder. The problem is that the icon for the Applications folder is just a sketched drawing of what the Applications folder looks sort of like, it’s not backed by anything. Seems they should want that icon to turn into a link to the folder. Maybe that’s coming. It’s still in beta.
Camino’s Finder popup

Now, I wouldn’t be jabbering on about this if I haven’t confirmed that what I want is possible. Not needing to know anything about how this stuff is done (yet) I haven’t been able to confidently comment on it. Well, now I’ve seen it. Adium X 0.87 has done it. When the disk image is mounted a Finder window pops up. There’s a nice big icon for Adium, a nice arrow and a nice big icon for “Applications”. Wait, that looks like a valid link? Yep, it is. Just do what it shows you and you’re done. Nice. Thanks guys! Now it’s only a matter of time before this catches on everywhere.
Adium’s latest Finder popup

disclaimer: I don’t download and try all software. Adium X is the first I’ve seen to do this, but maybe there was some other app out there that did it first. My apologies to that some other app if I missed you.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 15th, 2005 at 11:07 pm and is filed under 3rd Party Apps. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.