[kdcny]

I'm still relatively new to Mac OS X and using it on a day-to-day basis, so I'm trying different things to get an effective workflow going. I thought I'd use a few Smart Folders to help me, but it's resulted in nothing but madness so far. Mostly, this is because "Smart Folders" seem to have very few qualifiers to choose from.

All I want to do (for starters) is have a folder of all documents I've opened in the last two weeks, excluding attachments from e-mails. This is a constant problem in my Spotlight searches, too. A typical scenario goes like this:

- I have a file which I then e-mail (a GMail account) to people, perhaps in multiple e-mails
- I search for the document, and get about 10 different results because of the Mail folders & replies, etc.
- I just want the *original* file, the one in a folder on my computer, not in the Mail database, and...
- I have to hover over each of search results to see the file path so I get the right one. I've since discovered that it's usually the last one, but still...

...this seems to be incredible unintuitive, and makes me want to pull my hair out. I can create some amazingly specific playlists in iTunes (protected AAC songs I listened to between April 2007 and September of 2008 that have ratings of 3 stars or better and are from artists that have "The" in their name), and yet I can't create a usable Smart Folder? It bugs the heck out of me and gives me pause when people say, "How's the Mac working out?"

Basic question: is there a way to exclude e-mail attachments in Smart Folders?

[chucker]

I don't believe Finder's smart folders allow you to exclude a path. HoudahSpot can do it, though.

[Kickaha]

I was about to say "just click on the 'is' in the Kind row and select 'is not'" but... wow. It's not there. Huh.