Finder is the Mac's default file manager and relies heavily on the mouse. Yes, there are some keyboard shortcuts, but it's primarily an application for clicking and dragging files. This works for most people, but some of us prefer to use the keyboard for everything whenever possible.
If you also prefer keyboard shortcuts to drag-and-drop, check out Marta, a free alternative file manager designed for quickly managing files without taking your hands off the keys. The interface is built around two panes that you can quickly switch between by pressing the Tab key. You can use the arrow keys to navigate to the folder and press Enter to open the file. You can upgrade at any time by pressing the backspace key. You can press Space to preview the file, just like in Finder, and then press Enter to open the file. For a sleeker option, you can press Command-Enter to choose which application to use to open the file without using your mouse.
You can still use your mouse if you want, but everything will be faster if you use keyboard shortcuts that you can customize. The real answer, though, is the Actions panel , which you can open using the default keyboard shortcut Command-Shift-P. This will open an overlay where you can type the search command and press Enter to run it.
This is great, especially when you get started, because it lets you do all the super fancy commands without having to remember all the keyboard shortcuts. Even better, you'll see the keyboard shortcuts as you go, giving you a way to learn them over time.
If you want more commands, obviously you need to open a terminal. You can activate the terminal directly within an application using the keyboard shortcut Command-O.
This will open a terminal in the current panel's folder. Even better, when the panel folder changes, the terminal folder changes too and vice versa. Note that terminals are associated with active panels - you can have a separate terminal for each window if you wish.
You can dive in to learn more here , but honestly, it’s best to explore for yourself. Dive in and see if you like it. I'm not sure I'd use it to replace the Finder for all purposes, but occasionally it's nice to have a power-user tool for complex jobs.
