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- totorototoro, on 10/12/2007, -12/+25I've installed/removed Quicksilver several times on Macs I've owned...I know it gets rave reviews, but I still can't figure out what makes it truly worth installing.
From Adam's article: launching Firefox by typing ffox? Opening a *.txt file with Textmate? Compressing a file? I know these are just examples, but I guess I don't really use my Mac for much beyond these example tasks, which arguably don't need Quicksilver to get done with minimal effort. Maybe its just a poweruser thing?- 9enisP, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10I've never heard of Quicksilver before now, and I can definitely see it as a useful tool. The plugins are what sold me. Scaling and converting any image on the fly... looking up definitions of words with a few simple keystokes. This sounds like a really cool program.
- allanpat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+20@toto
it's not so much a power user tool as a convenience tool. i don't use quicksilver for much beyond application/folder launching, but it's become invaluable just for that alone. Thanks to quicksilver, i no longer need my dock, so my desktop can be full screen. Also, i can get to anywhere on my computer in usually 3 or less keystrokes (it knows i open firefox a lot, so i can launch it just by pressing ctrl+space 'f').
Once you become used to it, actually opening your finder and searching for applications/folders just seems like such an unnecessary hassle. - flashboy131, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Apple Address Book: Indexes your Address Book contacts and lets you access all of the information therein.
this is cool because I have Entourage for work and I can use quicksilver to send e-mails to:
1-Activate Quicksilver
2-Name (first or last)
3-"mail to"
4-New mail message with the address filled in
Works with other mail app's I just happened to have Entourage set up, you have to have the address book (OSX) plugin activated though. - lasombragh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Quicksilver can be very, very useful if even just partially understood and utilized. Setting up triggers for frequent actions (i.e. e-mailing an active selection, launching applications, opening folders, looking up word definitions, pulling up contacts by name, plugging in song titles, etc.) can make even these most mundane of tasks almost instantaneous. I like just being able to launch frequently used programs with my function keys, or even just typing in a URL without having to open a browser and click on the URL line first.
Quicksilver has definitely changed the way I use my computer in a positive, more time-efficient manner and, frankly, I can't imagine not ever using it again just because of all the time it saves me on a regular basis. - Scotepi, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2what about spotlight? its extremely fast and built in... i use it for opening programs and sometimes documents/folders... no since in running another program that does almost exactly what spotlight does
- scosol, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I don't do anything fancy with it, but my dock is only 7 items long, and I have a ***** of apps, so it's super-useful for launching apps that aren't on my dock.
- RadiatedAnt, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Windows has this natively, you can set a hotkey for any application which makes this program null and the others like launchy and Colibri. Yeah windows cant make shortcuts which *90% of the people don't care
*citation needed ;)
- joaob, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14Quicksilver is honestly just one of those things that you have to download and try in order to appreciate it.
- keithc01, on 10/12/2007, -10/+7it sounds like it. i can never understand how someone can get so excited over an app like this. it sounded cool until i got to the words "application launcher." i mean wow. "it also manipulates data!" really, wow. so i guess you really do have to use it to understand. because it sounds like a snoozer to me.
- cbergeron, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Agreed. I don't know how many sites I visited that mentioned Quicksilver in some form or another until after I got my first Macintel. Then one day, I saw a tip that required it so I downloaded/installed it, and I had a couple of epiphany's.
The first was, this app rox0rs my appz0rs (I couldn't live without it today [for sho!]). The second being that life doesn't have to be difficult. It's all about love my fellow hippie R'publicant'z... NOT.
That said, it made my productivita skyrocket!
The typical GTD Mac crowd takes some getting used to, but once you're in... you're In!
- macaddct1984, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4The Apple Blog does a great weekly screencast on various aspects of Quicksilver:
http://theappleblog.com/category/screencasts/ - SittenSpynne, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I was kind of disappointed because the opening sentence made it sound like something that was cross-platform and this beam of hope was quickly followed by "Mac-Only".
Any equivalent for those who choose Windows? It looks really neat and something I'd waste a lot of time finding ways to save time on.- pype, on 10/12/2007, -18/+9right click
- gchucky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I use Launchy ( http://www.launchy.net/ ). I've tried it alongside Colibri ( http://colibri.leetspeak.org/ ) and I think it just works better.
- Qwijib0, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Another vote for launchy. It's pretty much the best utility for windows.
- dbr_onix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Humanized Enso [ http://www.humanized.com/ ] is probably closer to what Quicksilver is, although it's (slightly annoyingly) not free. Launchy is decent, but it doesn't let do anything apart from starting applications.
- TheYellowMole, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If you can get used to it, the possibilities of AutoHotkey http://www.autohotkey.com/ are endless. I use it to run programs, mail e-mails, or quick text (like a forum sign-off). It can literally automate just about anything you can dream of. I highly recommend it .
- cbergeron, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@gchucky:
Except for the keystroke delays, unwanted pauses, and the lack of intelligent application selection (or the lack of core OS animation, etc...) launchy is what I have to use on my Windows Virtual Machine to simulate Quicksilver.
Just get a Mac and be done with it.
Using Launchy on a Windows box is equivalent to being a Poser. Surf/Ski/Skate or Pretend. - gchucky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@cbergeron:
I've got a Mac, thanks. And when I'm on it, I use Quicksilver. My main box is Windows, though, and for that I use Launchy.
No need to be so angry, man...
- jexdawg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1is this anything like beagle for gnome?
- stalefries, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6No, not at all. Beagle is just an indexing and search service. Quicksilver is a very versatile launcher and action-thingy.
Beagle is to Linux as Spotlight is to Mac OSX. - concertina, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2If you're looking for something like quicksilver under gnome, gnome-launch-box is the closest analogue.
- Soapdish, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1since anything can still be done through command line in linux, any program that lets you enter commands can do this stuff. Alt-F2 in linux generally opens a dialog that can run any command.
I use KDE, so as an example.
Look up a word: Alt-F2, kdict
Pause a song playing in amarok: Alt-F2, amarok --pause (though I use global keyboard shortcuts)
Add a song to xmms playlist: Alt-F2, xmms -e 'song filename'
Append file_1 to file_2: Alt-F2, cat file_1 >> file_2
This is one of the reasons that linux power users love the command line. Everything can be done in one spot without moving hands from the keyboard. Though, we all admit that specialized apps can be very useful for different tasks.
And if I want to use some small shortcut for a command, like 'o' for opera, I can just make a symlink. This can even be done as a non-root. Just add ~/.bin to the PATH environment variable, and put symlinks in that directory. I just tried it in my bash client, and it works.
Unfortunately, this power is likely the reason linux developers don't bother making something a little more user friendly. - ibis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3gnome-launch-box and katapult look the most like quicksilver. But both only really launch apps at the moment (and I don't think there is any development being done on g-l-b). Deskbar Applet is probably a bit closer in functionality, allowing you to launch apps, search, look up dictionary words and all sorts of other stuff. I like the quicksilver interface a lot more though. I wish someone would merge the gnome-launch-box interface with deskbar functionality. Hell they're both python I think, maybe I'll have a look...
- concertina, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ibis
You're totally right. I had a temporary mind blank about deskbar-applet because it was broken on my primary Linux machine for a while.
I'm back to using it after a several-month hiatus, and it looks much better than I remember, with better plugin support that gets it closer to quicksilver functionality, though it still has a little ways to go. The interface is still clunkier than quicksilver, sadly. Excessive scrolling sucks.
- stalefries, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6No, not at all. Beagle is just an indexing and search service. Quicksilver is a very versatile launcher and action-thingy.
- mikefitz2, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3For a quick google search in FF. Bookmark ' http://www.google.com/search?q=define:%s ' w/o quotes.
assign keyword 'd'
should look like: http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/7108/03272007203132qv3.png
Now, make a new tab, type "d hello" w/o quotes to get google to do a very quick definition of hello. - ImTheDarkcyde, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10hack?
someone get the submitter a dictionary - OutThisLife, on 10/12/2007, -10/+2Quicksilver is a clothing company.
- adc86, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11Its also slang for "Mercury"
The more you know! - sourwood, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1We call heroin "quicksilver" around these here parts.
- adc86, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11Its also slang for "Mercury"
- digitallysick, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2ive downloaded it before but couldn't find much of a use for it really? maybe i should try it again
- blubbert, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5No matter how many articles are written on Quicksilver, they will always fail to capture its full usefulness.The plug in functionality of Quicksilver allows everyone to find at least something that can be done easier and simpler with Quicksilver. I use it to access and search web pages, IM people, and execute complex commands that would otherwise require a lot of unnecessary steps. To fully appreciate it, you have to give it at least a week of solid usage.
- buu2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I use quicksilver every day for just the quick stuff like opening apps, files, and specific songs in itunes. I've used command space since ive started. It remembers your most common openings. So I use it mostly to open ichat, itunes, safari, and firefox (I just press ic, i, s, and f respectivelly for those apps and enter to open them.) It's an amazing program and I'd love to read the second part of this guide!
- jbarket, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I used to love Quicksilver, but honestly I don't know what it used to do for me that Spotlight doesn't. Apple+Space works great for finding documents, emails, contacts and of course applications.
- adc86, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6cmd-space, 'termi', cmd-return. Does Quicksilver beat this? (its honestly a question, does it?)
- Kypt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3On my machine with Quicksilver:
ctrl-space, 'ter', enter
And a lot faster than the Spotlight way since its instant (doesn't get any twirling circle of search)
- flashboy131, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I've been setting up Photoshop Automator actions, like bath rename and resize...etc and have gotten Quicksilver to see these. Time consuming to set it up at first but saves so much time in the long run.
- ammosponge, on 10/12/2007, -10/+1too bad it isn't cross platform. too bad it's just an application dock.
- adc86, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8So when a software package is 'Doze only, its because Mac's suck, but when one is Mac only, its because... Macs suck? Just not seeing the logic.
- Quix, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8"Just not seeing the logic."
Since when do Mac bashers use logic?
- Soapdish, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3Funny, I can do all that stuff in KDE using the app launcher, or a bash client. And, I've been able to do it for as long as I've been using linux.
Now I admit that it might not be as user friendly, since I have to actually remember what the commands and arguments are, but this doesn't seem like anything special to me. It is a bit prettier, though.
And sometimes it's better to use other means, like global keyboard shortcuts in amarok, or any other program you want in KDE.- lasombragh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Quicksilver lets you use global keyboard shortcuts btw...
- Soapdish, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2good to know it lets you use global shortcuts. If I ever end up using OSX, I'll have to use it.
Anyway, I wasn't saying that quicksilver sucks, just that KDE (possibly gnome) can do the same stuff. Seems odd that I get dugg down for that. - joelhardi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Hey soapdish, I immediately thought the same thing. It's "bash + tab completion" for Mac!
Unfortunately great *nix things like locate and tab completion are broken on a Mac because of the way Apple packages its applications (at least for everything in /Applications, not for CLI or X stuff). It would be cool if Apple would patch some of the standard utilities like locate to work better with OSXisms like application packages and Netinfo, instead of just pushing out barebones BSD coreutils.
- ScarHawk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I haven't a mac so I can't vouch for or against Quicksilver. But if you want an ultra fast way to launch programs in windows with a few keystrokes, its pretty simple and it only takes about a minute to set up. Here's what I do:
Create a folder someplace- I usually put it right in the root of some drive. Call it something like "quicklaunch". Now go into System properties > advanced tab then click the "environment variables" button. Edit your path to include the new directory.
Now, open up the folder and right drag whatever programs/folders you want to be able to launch. Heres the cool part- since they are shortcuts, they can be whatever they want and they don't have to have extensions.
Thats basically it. Now all you have to do is hit WINDOWS-KEY+R and all the stuff is there from the run box. Its amazing how much faster it makes things- I have to connect to alot of different computers at work via PC Anywhere (ick) and all i do is type in three letters and hit enter. Boom, I'm there. Or to open up a document I have to use every day "doc" and hit enter. If I ever have to add more, I just type editlaunch and enter. Its wicked simple and its amazing the difference it makes.- Kypt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Thing is, Quicksilver's app launcher is just ONE of the features. The greatness of it comes from the plugins.
- tghd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If you want a launcher for Windows use Launchy
http://www.launchy.net/
- bdpf, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2Title miss leading..
This is for a MAC...
Why list other operating systems. DUH !
Here I thought it would help me and the broken windows S__T
DUG Down for miss leading...- lasombragh, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Unless I, uh, 'miss read' something, the description is clear in saying that regardless of platform, "this Mac-only freeware application launcher..." etc.
- antifolkhero, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@bdpf: +1 dude. "Whether we're talking Mac, Windows, or Linux, freeware or shareware, this Mac-only, freeware application launcher-and-then-some is the best productivity booster I have on my computer." If its Mac-only, why would this application have anything to do with Windows, Linux or freeware? If you can't use it on any of those three systems, its obviously not "the best productivity booster" for them, is it?
- dbr_onix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"If its Mac-only, why would this application have anything to do with Windows, Linux or freeware?"
I think the point was that Quicksilver is the best productivity application that has been made (And is better than the Windows/Linux equivelents) - Yes, it could be worded more clearly, but it's not implying it's cross-platform at all.
- SilentSpyder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have been thinking of trying this ever since I heard about it on Mac Break, here's the video by the way "http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mov?http://media.libsyn.com/media/macbreak/macbreak-012-600p-h264.mov". Anyway, I just don't see it running good on my old G4.
- monototo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2runs fine on a G4. you just have to remember to keep the catalogue reasonably thin (i.e. don't ask it to add every document and picture to its database).. and I keep the superfluous visuals turned off.
- sithious, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1give it a try - it runs very well on my good old g4.
:)
- psiDevil98, on 10/12/2007, -6/+11-800-BAR-NONE
That is all. - pkulak, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It looks like Quicksilver separately indexes your whole drive, or user folder. Why? I thought the Spotlight API was open to all applications, so why does Quicksilver bother when the index is always there and always current?
- mokeyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1---
- MattyLite, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1In Quicksilver, I can't seem to find this "Image Manipulation Actions" plugin the author talks about. I only see "Text Manipulation Actions." Anybody else notice this?
- mokeyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You need to get the image manipulation plugin. Go to Plugins in the menu and then click on it.
It's one of the most useful as it means you don't need to open an app to resize or change the format of picture. I used QS to set up a trigger on a hot corner so I can drag pics there and they resize to 800x600 for uploading to the net.
The great thing about QS is although at first it looks like a launcher once you get to know it you find yourself not launching apps at all - at least not in the traditional sense - just doing everything via Quicksilver. It's the universal application.
- mokeyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You need to get the image manipulation plugin. Go to Plugins in the menu and then click on it.
- generalE, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Quicksilver is the most fascinating and innovative app I've ever used. Last time I was blown away like this was when I discovered Norton Commander for DOS ;) There is no way to describe Quicksilver as it is basically the framework - the best I can come up with is that it performs "actions" on "objects". Actions and objects can be anything and I mean _anything_ as long as there is plugin (and there are many).
Never underestimate the power of Quicksilver :) - concertina, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2dig down
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