![]() ![]() ![]() If you’re looking for more flexibility than what Spotlight has to offer, Alfred - sans-Powerpack - is a great option. ![]() The developers at Running with Crayons have done a great job divvying up the free versus paid features in such a way that doesn’t feel limiting to someone who wants to try out the app. Power comes at a (reasonable) priceĪlfred 2 is a free-to-use application with an option to buy their Powerpack which will unlock more capabilities such as custom workflows, fine-grained theming, DropBox sync, QuickLook, and 1Password integration. What Alfred does best is incorporate different features from its competitors and implement them in a distinctive, easy, and understandable way - all while offering more power for advanced users to take things further.Īdditionally, it offers a unique iOS companion app and has features like Workflows that allow you to be more efficient you stay productive. ![]() Our favorite - Alfred - is able to do just that when compared to LaunchBar, Quicksilver, and even Spotlight. Our pickīeing the new kid on the block can have its advantages, but only if you know how to leverage them properly. A lot of work is put into making these applications awesome, and helping the developers try to make a living doesn’t hurt. When examining the launcher space, how much you are getting for the price does weigh in on our decision, but it isn’t the heaviest factor. Price – Paying for great software is a satisfying feeling, but paying for software that doesn’t live up to its promise is irritating. A launcher that matches OS X’s current aesthetic is a must. Just like if you launched an iPhone app today with an iOS 6 design, it would feel jarring and out of place. If the app isn’t at your beck and call when you need it, then what’s the use of keeping it around?Īppearance – With Yosemite, OS X pulled an iOS 7 and received an overhauled UI. Speed – You are using a launcher because you want to open something faster, so speed is critical. Being able to intuitively dig into an application and figure out most of its features by poking around for a few minutes is the type of usability we want to see. We narrowed it down to five pieces of criteria:įeatures – With launchers now doing much more than opening your apps, we wanted to find one that carried a robust set of features that could cater to a beginner, but also allow more seasoned users to customize things to their liking.Įase of Use – Every launcher is going to have some sort of learning curve, but we aren’t looking to spend hours toggling preferences and reading support articles just to get the basics down. With its history in mind, we sought to find out which launcher gave us the best experience in daily use while also offering powerful features to those who wished to take advantage of them.īefore we delved into the review process, it was important for us to figure out what qualities of a launcher made it our favorite. And they’ve also become sort of an automation playground offering plug-ins and scripts for you to accomplish a series of tasks with just a couple of keystrokes. Launchers now give you instant feedback like showtimes, news, and articles. But the word “launcher” has become less of a descriptor of what you are getting and more of a legacy term. While Spotlight wasn’t the first launcher for OS X, today it sits among a variety of good choices for you to pick from. Spotlight has been a part of Mac OS X ever since version 10.4 Tiger, and even though its feature set has evolved since then, its purpose started out simple: To help you find and launch files and apps faster than it would take you to navigate to the location with a mouse. If you are a Mac user, then you have a launcher already installed. After numerous keystrokes and much reflective deliberation, we think that Alfred is the favorite launcher for Mac OS X. We wouldn’t consider the OS X app launcher space a crowded one, but there are enough options out there that could make oneself think twice about clicking the download button. If my original article hasn’t been updated, I recommend you read it on The Sweet Setup. I am posting it here for preservation purposes. Note: This article was originally published Maon The Sweet Setup. ![]()
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