"all useful things no doubt, but things you don't change on a per-folder basis that often- while literally not having an "up one level" button. At all."
Add the "path" menu to your Finder window toolbar. You now have access to all parent folders of the current directory in two clicks. It's one of the first tweaks I make setting up a new OSX install. Along with dumping "all my files" from the sidebar and as the new window default.
After using Ubuntu for most of the summer don't get me started on the UI inconsistencies I experienced there. I don't disagree with you that there are things in OSX which also don't make sense, by my overall impression is that the UI of OSX is much more refined than what's available for Linux out of the box. YMMV.
"You either have to know the keyboard shortcut, or you have to go to the Go menu."
As in, yes you can go up a level, but not in the way that many expect, and/or not without switching to the keyboard. Neither of which are marks of amazing interface design... which I think is his point.
Add the "path" menu to your Finder window toolbar. You now have access to all parent folders of the current directory in two clicks. It's one of the first tweaks I make setting up a new OSX install. Along with dumping "all my files" from the sidebar and as the new window default.
After using Ubuntu for most of the summer don't get me started on the UI inconsistencies I experienced there. I don't disagree with you that there are things in OSX which also don't make sense, by my overall impression is that the UI of OSX is much more refined than what's available for Linux out of the box. YMMV.