Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
But with a bit of extra software, all these problems can magically disappear—and you can
gain significant new capabilities.
Use a Third-party Launcher
If your goal is simply to launch apps and open an occasional document with the keyboard,
then the Spotlight menu might be adequate. But wouldn't it be even better if you could that
same Command-Space shortcut (or another one of your choosing) as a system-wide trigger
to perform dozens of other common actions, too? If so, you're the type of person who can use
a third-party launcher.
Here are the sorts of things a third-party launcher can do that the Spotlight menu can't:
• Learn your preferences as you use it, so that your most frequently used items
automatically bubble to the top of the list (and therefore require fewer
keystrokes)
• Display matching items
instantly
• Browse your iTunes library for music by song, artist, composer, album, genre,
or playlist—and control iTunes playback
• Perform actions
other than
opening items—for example, sending the items via
Mail or Messages, compressing files in the Finder, moving them to another
location, or adding tags
• Show you specific details (such as phone number or address) from any record
in Contacts
• Add calendar events using only the keyboard
• Look up login items from the password utility
1Password
• Perform simple math calculations
QuickSilver
.Eachoftheseutilitiesapproachesthetaskabitdifferentlyfromtherest,offering
its own unique features and user interface. And each of them has a ton of vocal supporters
who insist that their favorite launcher is far superior to all the others. I have my own
preference, but I acknowledge that all four have merits, and I won't think (much) less of you
if you choose a different launcher.
