The "copy to" and "move to" buttons, seem to be some variation on the old "send to" command, which is currently available via both right-click and menu bar. (For those not familiar with Windows: if I select a file, the "send to" options are: compressed folder, create desktop shortcut, documents, fax, email, burn to DVD, network directory.)
Personally, that's an command that I never use; not sure how popular it is with the Windows userbase in general.
Yes, here's a place they really could have done something cool with the UI, and spiffed up a be-cobwebbed corner of Explorer.
In XP, there's a folder that you can put folder and program shortcuts in, that will populate the send to menu. In fact, this essentially is my quicklaunch method when using XP. Just put a link to notepad2 in there, and you can view anything in ascii. Rinse and repeat.
It's so useful in fact, that they might have been able to bring it into wider usage, and maintain continuity with older Windows, by adding a context menu such as 'Make me a send to place', which would add a shortcut to the clicked folder or application into the send to menu.
To me on OS X, the Finder sidebar and Dock are the rough equivalent. 90% of my Finder work is selection and dragging to the sidebar, or Dock, the same thing I would use send to on Windows for.
I love "Send To". I keep a link to Notepad2 and a hex editor in there (and sometimes Emacs) so that I can easily use a real editor or get a hex dump. It's kind of like "Open With..." except that it's always in the menu and somehow Open With... might not pick up the program you want, so you have to waste time traversing the directory tree.
It is one thing I love to show "normal" people. They can use it to easily copy files to eg USB sticks or even select images to send by mail. These are tremendously useful for those people.
Fair enough. Usually, when I copy files to USB I have 2 windows open and drag from one to another.
The "send to" email, however: I don't think you can use it with any web-based email, correct? Do people usually have Outlook set up on their machines these days?
>(For those not familiar with Windows: if I select a file, the "send to" options are: compressed folder, create desktop shortcut, documents, fax, email, burn to DVD, network directory.)
There's one more: if you have a bluetooth adapter (or a laptop with embedded support), it shows a 'Send to Bluetooth device'. I find this very useful for sending files to my phone.
Personally, that's an command that I never use; not sure how popular it is with the Windows userbase in general.