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Using MultiFinder?

"Are you using Finder or MultiFinder??" That's a question often asked of Macintosh users even though it's really not the right one to ask. "Are you using MultiFinder?" is the "right" question. The reason is that the Finder is always running, whether or not you are using MultiFinder. Most people inherit a machine and don't really know what they are using (nor do they want to). The Finder is the command interpreter for the Macintosh; it's what sh and csh (the Shell) are to a UNIX user. The big difference is that Macintosh commands are graphically given. When you boot your Macintosh the Finder is always running (there is nothing you configure or set-up out of folders, launch applications, move files to the trash, etc... The one problem with the Finder is that you can only run one application at a time. If you are using Microsoft Excel and want to use Microsoft Word, you have to quit and close the Excel application and launch the Word application- -one or the other. This is very limiting. Cutting and pasting between graphic and text formatting software is tedious; you have to log in and log out of you UNIX account whenever you want to use other applications. Yechhhh!

So what does MultiFinder do for you? Well, you get multiple Finders ...sort of ...OK, you don't really get multiple Finders, rather, MultiFinder lets you run multiple applications at the *same* time. The number of applications you can run is limited by the amount of RAM memory you have on your Macintosh. If you are using Excel and also want to use Word, you simply launch Word; Excel will stay in the background until you wish to use it again.

So when should I not use MultiFinder? In general, if you have the memory, you should use MultiFinder. How much memory do you need? Well, you should have at least 2.5 Megabytes of RAM to use MultiFinder effectively. If you don't know how much RAM you are using, pull down the menu under the apple and select "About the Finder...".

                     menu picture shown here

So how do I set up my Macintosh to run MultiFinder? You simply pull down the "Special" menu and select the "Set Startup..." item.

                     menu picture shown here

You will get this in the resulting window:

                       symbols shown here

All you need to do is select the radio button next to "MultiFinder". You are telling the Macintosh to run MultiFinder the next time you start up your machine. Close the window and restart your machine. You are now running MultiFinder. There is no functional difference between MultiFinder and Finder. The *only* difference is that you can run multiple applications at the same time now. Let's take my Macintosh as an example. At any one time I am usually running 2-5 applications, using one applications while all of the other applications wait around in the background. To see the applications currently running and how much memory they are using (as well as how much they were allocated), just pull down the "File" menu and select "About the Finder" again. Here is mine:

                 multi finder window shown here

Here I have too many applications running to show everything. Scrolling down shows how much memory the Finder and System are currently using. It also tells me I have over 3 Megabytes remaining to use if I wish.

 
                 multi finder window shown here

So how do I move between all of the applications? There are several ways to do it. All trivial. The first way is to pull down the "File" menu and select the application you want to use. That application will then come to the foreground (everything else in the background). There will be a checkmark next to the application that is currently running. For example, let's say I am using the Finder on my desktop (looking through some folders that are still up and running or whatever) and want to go back to using one of my terminal windows (MacIP) that is still up and running in the background. I could simply pull down the "File" menu and select the MacIP application (notice the applications icon is next to it).

                   long menu window shown here

That's one way to go to MacIP but it is often too much work (if you can call pulling down a menu with a mouse work). Another way to move between applications is by clicking on the icon in the upper right hand corner. A small icon of the application currently being used is shown. After booting up or restarting your machine, you will notice the little Macintosh machine icon up there that signifies that the Finder is currently what is being used.

If I were currently using the MacIP application, its icon would be up there:

                        symbol shown here

After you launch a few applications, you can move through them by pointing the mouse at and clicking that icon. That is still too much work in my opinion. I mean, you have to slide the mouse up and down the mouse pad all the time! The best way to move between applications is simply to point the mouse at a window from that application and click once. That application will immediately come to the foreground. What do you do if there are no windows currently on your screen from that application? Well, then you are going to have to use one of the other ways described. If I want to use Microsoft Word, I just click on an opened document window in the background. If I want to use one of my terminal windows, I click on one of the terminal windows and Word goes back into the background while MacIP comes to the foreground.

If you can use MultiFinder ( i.e. have enough memory), you should. It will double your productivity. When MultiFinder first came out several years ago, it was buggy and just didn't work very well. That's in the past; MultiFinder is now very solid. If you have the memory, get the most out of your Macintosh. In addition when the new Macintosh System 7.0 comes out, you will no longer have a choice--it's MultiFinder only! So you'd better get used to it now. You will be very glad you did.

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