Why Use Application Launchers???

[Amie]

I've been reading about all these "wonderful" third-party apps called application launchers. I'm totally lost, and I have a feeling I'm missing something (but maybe not). Could someone please explain to me why on Earth anyone would install an app of this nature and bother with keyboard "shortcuts" ... when all they have to do is CLICK on the app in the Dock to launch it??? I just don't get it. To me, it's MUCH easier to simply click on the app's icon in the Dock to launch it rather than bother with all that third-party app-launching crap. I keep the apps that I use the most in my Dock ... that way, I just click on it to launch it. Simple, yes?

[eric2006]

Some people like their keyboards..

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Also, what about those that use so many applications that they don't all fit in the Dock? In addition, some of the "launchers" are not point-and-click... there's one out there (Quicksilver?) where you can type the first few characters of an app's name and have it launch -- handy when you keep your most frequently used apps in the Dock, but still want to launch other apps with ease without navigating to /Applications constantly.

It's all just personal preference. Some people hate the Dock for their own reasons, and therefore prefer 3rd-party launchers.

[DeltaMac]

It's all about options.
Some people prefer to have commonly used apps in a menu, and you can find a launching app that will provide that function (or by simply typing a couple of characters), or any of a handful of other options for quickly launching apps, or quickly switching between open apps.

The dock can be much less efficient when you have a really-large display, and you have your mouse set for very slow acceleration for use with art work, or video editing, or whatever other purpose.
Others also prefer to stay off the mouse if possible.
You can also find out that some of these "wonderful" (?) apps allow you to set up custom sets of apps-launching for specific purposes - very handy.

Everyone does not use their computer for the same purpose, and isn't that a good thing!

[Mikuro]

I use Butler to launch apps. (It's similar to QuickSilver and LaunchBar.) A quick search of my Applications folder reveals over 300 applications. Try stuffing all of those in the Dock! Yikes!

Personally, I don't like to put anything in my dock that doesn't fit one of three criteria:
1) It's almost always loaded anyway, like Safari or iTunes.
2) It's frequently used for drag'n'drop, like StuffIt Expander, QuickTime Player, or BBEdit.
3) I use it often enough that it benefits me to have it in a constant location, like Script Editor or Firefox, so I can switch to it from other apps without having to think "okay, where in my Dock is it this time?"

I have a total of 12 apps permanently in my Dock. Why would I clutter my Dock with other apps when I can launch them with a few quick keystrokes?

There are many different ways to use the Dock. That's a good thing. Many people use it as an application launcher and find it works well. I use it primarily as an application switcher. For me, using it for all my application launching needs would be confusing and inefficient.

[camgangrel21]

My two cents for what is worth is this. I thank some old mac hands don't like the fact that Apple gave in to the masses when it came to wanting ezer way of get to your apps. And even some of those old hands fells that doing way with the old way doing thing in OS 6 - 9 was just one more step in makeing the Mac fell more like a Windows box not a Mac. As I see was I can see what the old hands are saying but on the other hand I would not have my self came back to the Mac if it was not for OS X. If OS X felled and acted as if it was a dressed up Vers of the old Mac OS system I would not have made the move back. Not even my comeing back for me I have get 4 people to move away from Windows and come over to the mac. All of witch know 0 about the mac. They all said after I showed them the old OS, They all said it OS X had been even close to that there would have been no way in hell that I could have got them to move over in the first place. So I hope you old hands out there see my ponit here with this rant. It's this Had Apple said FU to the masses and kept the old way of doing things. Apple was never going to get any more % of the computer pie. Now that they have. I just yester day got a Biz to order 20 new iMacs, just because they now can run the 3 or 4 programs they have for windows. And I would have to say after the most of the worker find there self useing windows less and less to get work and ever day stuff done in. That guess what? They them selfs will end up buying a mac not a PC. Because most people that I talk to say way they use PC and not a Mac is because onething and thaqt is They have to work on a PC not a Mac. So they know how to run windows not that other thing over there. So for all of those old hands out there that say the Mac has lost is soul I say BS. If anything the Mac is doing what it was goneing to do. Had the bordmambers had not sent Steve picking. I think that if Steve had stayed on as CEO Apple computer would have been a hosehold name not Windows. There are some points to think about. Before next time thoes old hands open there mouths and eat crow.

[Mikuro]

You have a point. But it sounds to me like half the point is, "the new way of doing things is popular". Great. Windows is popular, too. And the Mac really hasn't gained much market share with OS X. I think it's actually declined. The CRT iMacs are what pushed Apple back into success, and they ran OS 9 (for the first few years, at least).

Don't get me wrong, OS X is great. But I hate it when people compare OS X directly to OS 9. Of course OS 9 is going to look bad. For one thing, it's just not sexy. That's probably the most important thing in attracting new users, not functionality. Secondly, it's outdated; it lacks many of the newer technologies than make OS X great.

Much of what OS X is is based right off OS 9. Most of what makes OS X great comes from OS 9! You shouldn't act like they're completely different, and you shouldn't act like OS X would be just like OS 9 if they had kept a little bit more of their old philosophies. When we old hands whine about OS X, it's not because we want it to be just like OS 9 and we wish Apple hadn't moved forward. It's because we wish Apple had avoided some very real mistakes in design philosophy. It's not because we hate the Dock (for example), it's because we see that Apple could have made it much better.

But we're getting WAAAAAY off topic here.

As I said, I am one of those "old hands". But you know what? I don't use OS X the way I used OS 9 when it comes to application launching. Not at all. In OS 9, I didn't have Butler. I kept aliases around the edges of my desktop (eww!) and I had my FKeys set to launch certain apps. I also used contextual menus a lot (powered up with FinderPop) and the Apple menu to launch apps. I don't use any of these methods in OS X.

So when I use application launchers, it's not because I'm clinging to old habits. It's just the opposite: because I'm willing to explore new things, and use them to work more efficiently.



The first thing I do when I set up friends' computers is install Butler. They always think it's the coolest thing in the world.

Try it. If you're willing to change the way you work a little, you'll come to love it. I guarantee it.

[jh2112]

I use Spotlight to launch apps I don't use too often and the Dock for most used apps.