Tiles is a Finder-enhancement utility designed lo keep files and applications at your Fingertips. Ifs aimed not only at novice users puzzled by the intricacies of hierarchical disk management but also at experienced users who want to bypass the Finder for a more direct route to files and applications. But despite its welldesigned interface. Tiles doesn't measure up when compared with similar utilities, including the Finder itself, which are simpler and less costly.
File Cabinets and Drawers
Tiles uses a file-cabinet metaphor to organize files and applications. The file cabinet contains two drawers, one for applications and another for projects. When you open a drawer, the program displays u palette comprising small iconlike squares called tiles, which can represent files, applications, or projects. When you double-click on an application tile, for example, the program launches the application linked to that tile. Optionclicking on a tile opens another palette composed of documents that can be opened with the application. Clicking on a document tile opens the document and its originating application.
You can create tiles manually, or you can set Tiles to automatically create them as you open applications and documents. This auto-create feature works even when lhe Tiles application is closed. To control the proliferation of tiles, you can set the program to automatically delete tiles that haven't been used regularly and delete tiles that exceed a maximum number that you've specified. If you want to prevent specific tiles from being deleted, you can "pin” them to a palette to preserve them. Unfortunately for users who want a consistent desktop arrangement, Tiles' deletion scheme can drastically alter the desktop's appearance over time.
Tiles also lets you use CE Software's QuicKeys from the Application palette, so you can create tiles that launch macros. Tiles' Project Drawer palette contains tiles that represent various combinations of applications, documents, and QuicKeys tiles. Using the Gather command, for example, you can create a project that comprises all currently open applications and documents. You can also create project tiles manually and edit their contents at any time. If you build a sequence of application and QuicKeys tiles, a project can become a megamacro. For example, one project can open two separate documents, transfer data between them, and print the results. You can sel the program to launch a specified set of files at startup, by either manually defining a startup set or requesting Tiles to launch the files that were open when you shut the Mac down. This sounds handy, but it's far from unique. To begin with, application and document tiles are almost functionally equivalent to System 7’s aliases — you may find aliases to be an adequate substitute for Tiles. Tiles also has a fairly high overhead for a utility: It requires more than 600K of RAM.
Although aliases can’t match Tiles’ auto-create feature, other utilities can. Super Boomerang (part of Now Utilities) originated the auto-create idea. Microseeds Publishing’s HAM has a similar capability as well as a feature that resembles Tiles’ projects. Connectix’s HAND-Off II uses a briefcase metaphor that’s also similar to Tiles’ projects. Moreover, these programs are often simpler to use than Tiles.
Tiles is unique in its ability to interact with QuicKeys, although you must purchase QuicKeys separately. Moreover, a QuicKeys tile doesn’t do anything more than QuicKeys itself does. With QuicKeys’ sequence macros, for example, you can duplicate everything a project tile accomplishes. The only difference is that for inexperienced users, it’s a bit easier to set up the sequence in Tiles.
The Bottom Line
Using Tiles may be a good way for novice Mac users to set up special tasks. Users don’t have to know or remember the whereabouts of files and applications — they can just double-click on project tiles. Additionally, if you don’t plan to upgrade to System 7, Tiles can provide many of the same advantages as System 7 aliases.
Almost everything that Tiles does, however, can be duplicated by other utilities for less money, hassle, and overhead. We prefer the combination of System 7’s Finder with either HAM or Super Boomerang. Moreover, even though Tiles’ interaction with QuicKeys may initially seem to be an asset, the combination doesn’t offer much more than what you get with QuicKeys alone.
Landau, Ted. (June 1992). Tiles. MacUser. (pgs. 70-71).
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2021-12-07 / 
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Tiles.sit
Emulating this? It could probably run under: 
Basilisk II
