Membranophonist’s Ramblings

Apple needs to define and stick to some guideline for where Info windows are accessed through the menu bar. As listed below, the function is rather unpredictably placed in their own applications:

File

• Finder
• iPhoto
• iTunes
• Backup
• Terminal

Window

• iCal
• QuickTime Player

Tools

• Preview

Buddies

• iChat

Edit

• Grab

The Grab placement is particularly perplexing - under the Edit menu, labeled as “Inspector,” and accessed through the Command-1 keystroke combo. Somewhat more logical and consistent: Under the File menu, labeled “Show Info” and accessible by Command-I.

Yes, every application is different, but a similar feature (meta-data display) should be accessed in a consistent way. A consistent keystroke to go along with predictable menu placement would be all the better, but Apple has dictated that Command-I belongs to Italicize. Given the long history of Command-I summoning the Finder’s Info window, I think this is a poor choice.