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Well, the solution is simple... and one that every platform except Mac has figured out. When you cut a file, it is not moved, altered, or changed in any way... until you paste it. Pretty simple, isn't it? Why would I want to drag the file to the desktop, then drag it into the folder I want instead of opening the folders and quick cut/paste? Finder has a copy/paste which actually works, why not allow cut to work as well? Oh, and what about those of us who for one reason or another can't really use the mouse or trackpad? "


Well, if you cannot use a mouse or a trackpad, you cannot use a graphical interface. So the discussion is pointless. Even under cut and paste, or drag and drop you need a pointing hardware device. If you cannot point or see, this discussion is over, because I realize you are not serious about what is being discussed here, you are just trying to be right whatever cost is and just started to say stupid things. This is an OS News discussion, I expect some level of intelligence.

On the other side, what you are referring to is copy/paste, and copy/paste is implemented. But a cut/paste, which does not really cut is a terrible approach. Imagine that you cut a file and you are traveling to the target folder, then you forget to paste it, because you got distracted by another thing, like a mail that arrived. When is it safe to rollback the operation? In an hour? In 5 minutes? What the user expects?It is an inconsistent operation to a casual user.

A system must try to protect the user from doing stupid things and cutting files is not a transparent operation because it involves disappearing a file.

Cut and paste also consume resources. Because you can cut a file, but how many times can you paste it? Endless times, so the behavior is not consistent, if you just make the file invisible. You need to hold the file somewhere in memory, or move it to somewhere first, and resolve things at the moment of actually pasting it. What if I want different operations over different items and I cut them all... Where do they go?
This happens in Microsoft Windows and when you move a file using cut/copy/paste you can actually see a dialog that says: moving file with a progress bar. Mac OS X drag and drop use less resources, those dialogs are never seen on Mac OS X when you drag and drop something. So it tells you cut/copy/paste is more resource intense.

But now... A thing to consider: When do you really need to cut and paste a file? Only when you are moving a file through different hardrives. Mac OS X uses a command+drag and drop to do the same thing and it is a better approach to do it. It involves origin and target, visual feedback and it behaves as user expects to do it.

But because, in another platform, Windows, things are done differently, then Apple should follow? It makes no sense at all. You have not provided a better way to do it, but a different to way to do it. Cut/Copy/paste files is used in Microsoft Windows because it is implemented to work around the task oriented interface. It is not implemented because it is better... In fact, it is a very dangerous operation. Disappearing files is not a transparent procedure, even if it is not erased. And it is a terrible decision that had to be made in order to make Windows task oriented approach work. Linux distributions that mimic a task oriented approach have to implement it too, because it is needed in order to work.

But If you do not share that limitation because you are using another approach to user interface... Why on Earth you need to work the same way around a limitation you do not share? And efficiency is not the answer, because Mac OS X is pretty efficient too. Just to make switchers feel at home? If a switcher feels good at home? Then why switch?

Mac OS X is a different operating system, a different GUI, it is not a Windows copy, just like Windows is not a copy of Mac OS X. Even though they share lots of common ground and have copied bits of each other through the years.