Can these things be customized? [Very long]

Question

Good day all!
First I would like to say thank you for everyone who consistently roams these forums to help new users! I have learned a lot by visiting discussions every other day at least for a long time!
I have been using Macs for a year now and still find navigation to be frustrating and counter-productive on several occasions.
Next I would like to say that if my questions annoy you or you think that I should search through all previous discussions for an answer to my problems, please don't respond. I would like to invite you to go help the next user with their problems. I've been computing for at least 15 years, so I know what to expect! And in my experience, that kind of post is akin to trolling. I know that there may be a multitude of responses about some of the things I would like help with. But the whole purpose for starting this discussion is to get help for me exactly where I am with several features, not to be sent on an easter egg hunt through the rest of the forum to piece everything together. I'm really very busy! And I will continue studying on my own every other day, as I have been for a long time.
On the flip side, I am not trying to be rude at all! I am sincerely asking for help and constructive suggestions/advice from a power user's perspective about how to adjust some things with my interface if possible! And I will be very very thankful if you can help!
I use Macs for business purpose and pleasure, so this is a professional concern and a personal quest!
So if you're still reading at this point, thank you for your patience!!! Your tenacity is admirable.
Ok, so I have a list of features that I will admit come from having used Windows-based PCs for a very very long time, but they are much more efficient then what I have been able to do on OS X.
[My tech profile]
Intermediate User (Mac), Power User (Windows) [I know, I know... Spare me. x.x]
System: Macbook Pro, Order number MGXC2LL/A (Currently, the big one... Mid-2014)
Using OSX v10.9.5. I understand that Yosemite is available but I am concerned about updating because I am also using bootcamp with Windows 7 installed for personal, professional and educational use. I definitely make my machines work for me. (Starting another discussion about THAT concern though.)
So finally, my questions.
I have run into several interface annoyances and I would like to know about the following things. If anyone has any advice at all about how to customize these features, thank you in advance! (Note: I don't mind links to other posts at all! Please do so if you know a great discussion for exactly what I am experiencing.. If not, please just give whatever advice you can.)
Trackpad sensitivity: I've gone to System Preferences > Trackpad for adjustments but its just not helping as I had hoped.
Experiencing false touch due to heat sensitivity. Several times a day I will be programming or surfing and my cursor will jump to where the mouse indicator is on the screen if I get within an inch or two of the trackpad. If I am not watching then sometimes I will end up punching characters into a random line far away from where they're supposed to be. Then I have to go through the long process of deleting, moving, adjusting unexpected typos, making sure the code is still rendering and then typing everything all over again on the correct line. Anyway to adjust the calibration?
I'm used to pinpoint accuracy when navigating with my high dpi pc mouse, so this may be a difficult one to explain... I touch the trackpad and move my finger and it works, but it feels like sensitivity maxed out is variable depending on the speed that I move my finger. So if I quickly move a centimeter it launches halfway across the screen. If I slowly move it, it barely moves. The variation is incredibly annoying at times because I'm used to navigating rapidly. It I turn the sensitivity down then movement is terrible, if I turn it up, it seems to move more rapidly only when I move my finger quickly, which is also frustrating because I can't accurately go to the exact point I want to without moving slow regardless of sensitivity. Maybe this is also due to OSX's calibration method/"philosophy"? I have also used the wire mouse on my Mac (Desktop) and it seems to work the same way even though its a completely different input method. Any suggestions? Maybe I should just install a Razer on my laptop and let those drivers determine how it operates? (Thats what I use on my PC.)
Is there anyway to toggle the trackpad on and off? I have not checked into this yet beyond System Preferences > Trackpad, but it would be very helpful when programming or writing.
Interface issues: There are several organization/navigational features that I use heavily in Windows. The lack thereof makes it difficult to enjoy the OSX interface at times... Sure you can say "Oh, you'll get used to it," but the fact of the matter is getting used to a different interface should at least enable me to be as productive as I would be on a Windows computer. I don't think getting used to these particulars would accomplish that.
Please advise me about how to customize a faster way to access media files! (I suppose I could create shortcuts in different directories, but... Ugh!) Is there an easier method or some way to rearrange the way that directories are organized in general so that I don't have to click desktop > click go > click home just to find my media files? Is there a way to make them accessible from the Finder Sidebar when navigating other directories? I need full access to commonly used directories if possible! Not just a certain level of my computer system without clicking "Go."
Is there an easy way to launch a directory in a second Finder window? Absolutely hate when I click a directory and it opens in the same window. Especially considering that you have to actually drag items to a different directory to move them without shortcut keys. Extra steps are not cool. (Like dragging a folder to your desktop so you can open a new directory to drag it to in the same Finder window. Very redundant and counter-productive.)
Anyway to manually add a cut/paste-like function to the right-click menu? Would solve a lot of my organization challenges. (Not afraid of tweaking system files or downloading scripts/programs to accomplish this.)
These are the things that have contributed to productivity challenges the most for me. Not really a lot, but still frustrating.
Thank you for reading and any advice you may have! Even if its only about one or two things. Anything helps.

Answer 1

Kurt Lang wrote:
Is there a way to make them accessible from the Finder Sidebar when navigating other directories? I need full access to commonly used directories if possible!
Yes. With any sidebar open, have the parent folder of the folder you want on the sidebar open. Now just drag and drop the folder you want on the sidebar under the Favorites heading, and above Devices. Make sure one of the other favorites already listed isn't highlighted as you let go of the mouse, or the OS will presume you want to copy the folder there. A new shortcut with that folder name should be added to the list. To remove any favorite, drag it off the sidebar over the desktop, wait a moment and let go.
Is there an easy way to launch a directory in a second Finder window? Absolutely hate when I click a directory and it opens in the same window.
That one is a huge bone of contention. Apple changed that behavior beginning with Mavericks so you can't do that if the sidebar or toolbar is showing. At least not the way it used to work before 10.9.x. To force a nested folder to open in its own window, hold down the Option key as you double click the folder. Hiding the toolbar and sidebar so all you see are the files eliminates the need to hold the Option key. Yes, there's no consistency of interface behavior on that one.
Hi Kurt! Thank you very much for those suggestions. I've actually been playing with the sidebar customizations and can attest that navigation has been a lot easier! This suggestion from Diane and from you has been incredibly helpful. As per the second Finder window, I guess I can only keep searching for a solution. I'm sure there is a way to regain the ability to access more than one Finder window at once. I can see the benefit of limiting it to only one window but I also know from experience that having it is counter-productive in most scenarios. I will have to try opening files and folders in their own windows with the option button to see if it will get me back to the productivity levels I'm used to.
Thank you again Diane! I need to do some research on each utility to see which one might be worth the investment in the long run!
I actually wanted to post a resolution of my own. Particularly the sensitivity/acceleration issue and the cut/paste issue. I was able to solve them both by adding a peripheral to my arsenal. The Razer Orochi wireless mouse. There are a couple of reasons why this has been an incredibly helpful move. The first is I have been using Razer peripherals for years. I love the control that Synapse software allows (That is, the utility that comes with Razer mice). I am able to adjust acceleration (Essentially how much farther the mouse moves with aggressive finger movements compared to normal movements) and I am able to adjust overall sensitivity beyond anything the trackpad is capable of because dpi and more thorough software. Don't get me wrong! I'm not trying to advertise here, it's been like night and day since I installed it.
I also mentioned cut and paste. The Orochi has a mouse wheel with a built-in button, 4 side buttons and the common left/right click buttons for a total of 7 possible mouse-click functions. So how I was able to correct the cut/paste issue was by binding Command-Option-V to one oft the side buttons. So essentially I can now Right Click, choose "Copy" and simply click the side button to move the folder/file/etc to the new directory. Productivity already increasing to levels I once had!
[Reference: OS X:Keyboard Shortcuts]
Granted this is not a control-level resolution, (Which would be highly preferable), but it has made a big difference so far. I definitely wouldn't consider this to be an interface preference but rather a productivity preference. However you look at it, I'm happier and can navigate/operate more effectively than I have been able to in a long time.
I think for all intents and purposes I can mark this thread as solved even though there are a couple of things that fall into this category by default simply because Macs are not capable of doing certain things as far as I can tell...
Unable to be resolved (By 98% of users) due to fundamental(?) design limitations:
Allow for heat sensitivity adjustments on the trackpad
Clickable cut/paste functionality built into OSX
Second (or multiple) Finder Window(s)
I think at this point I need to start researching deeper fixes for these problems and maybe post something later about it.
If anyone has more advice about them or any other features mentioned here, please post!
-war