Working with Linux on a PC 1615

Try OS X's column view. You can select an item by starting to type its name. Keep typing until the item you want is selected. If the item is a directory, you see its content in the column at the right, and you can move the focus into that column by hitting the right arrow key.

This pretty much gives you the sort of navigation you get with 'cd' and tab completion. But you get a lot more as well. First off, of course, it actually shows you the items in the current directory, which is useful, since you might not always remember. Not only that, but it shows you the contents of a clild directory, if you've got one selected, and the contents of the parent directory of the current directory, and possibly the parent of that, etc. (depending on how many columns you have displayed). So, it gives you a lot of context, to help you figure out where you are and where you want to go.

Secondly, it shows you what item you're selecting as you type -- with tab completion you don't know what will match until you hit tab. Often you'll run into a situation where you'll type a few characters, hit tab and realize you haven't typed enough to match just one item, and then you'll have to type more and hit tab again. That won't happen in OS X's column view.

Thirdly, you can move around with arrow keys, in any direction, or jump in with the mouse. If you see that the item you want to select is below the selected item, hit the down arrow. If you see it's above, hit the up arrow. If you want to move back into the parent directory, hit the left arrow. If you just want to click on an item, do that.

snip

-- "This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. And having said that, all options are on the table." -- George W. Bush in Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 22, 2005