Tips and Tricks 3: Quicksilver makes the world go ‘round
If you’ve been keeping up at all with the “Tips and Tricks” we’ve been running here at mac.Blorge.com, you will know I’m all about ease of use and speed. Quicksilver, which is used by many long time Mac addicts, is the pinnacle of both ease and efficiency.
What is Quicksilver? Well, I might struggle for a simple answer to that question. Most simply put, Quicksilver is the key to every aspect of your Mac’s efficiency.
Imagine one overlord program that can browse documents, programs, and media similar to spotlight, as well as directly perform the functions of individual applications without wasting the time required to navigate between those applications on the desktop; one ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, etc. etc., so on and so forth. That is Quicksilver.
What can it do? Just about anything your heart desires. For example, you can activate Quicksilver and automatically bring up a blank email form, prompt an .avi movie to start, set a new calendar appointment in iCal, or search your contacts list for a friend’s information.
I will be the first to admit, my knowledge and span of application of Quicksilver is fairly limited to this point; I would love to hear how you readers use Quicksilver.
For those of you who want to get started with Quicksilver, its fairly simple; download the program, drag it to your applications folder, and you’re set to go. Although generally I discourage bogging down your startup with application after application, Quicksilver should be included on that very exclusive list of allowed startup programs.
Another pointer I give to newer users is to re-assign the Quicksilver prompt key to something simple and easy to remember; me, I like pairing the command key and the ” ` ” key for my prompt. It doesn’t matter what you choose, just make sure its something that is fast and easy to remember.
From there, all you need to do to bring up that amazing little Quicksilver box is hit your command prompt. Once it appears, start typing whatever you are searching for; that could be “qui” if you want to prompt Quicktime, or “Aman” if you’re searching for my friend Amanda’s contact information (why you are searching for my friend Amanda on your computer is a whole new ball of wax).
It is worth noting that Quicksilver’s searching methods generally pull up accurate results immediately, even without completion of the item you are searching for, which is great for those of us that can’t remember what we named that file exactly.
Ok, so now that you have some results up, you’re given a pretty extensive set of operations; if you hit the directional “right” button, a drop down list of files associated with the search appears, which you can navigate with mouse or directional pad. Below the main search findings, the “action” box is displayed, and by keying “tab” you can reach that list with a similar drop down menu of functions available.
Right now, I’m viewing “Entourage,” and it brings up a long list of available commands, such as “open,” “relaunch,” and “email to.” I think I’ll compose a brief email, just because I can.
It is worth noting that Quicksilver is amazing, but only if you work at implementing it. If you only use Quicksilver for document searches, you might as well stick to Spotlight; you haven’t saved yourself any time if you’re still clicking around your desktop frequently.
However, I would seriously recommend taking a week to drill that command prompt, and to use Quicksilver to its fullest potential to see if its the right fit for you.
One question I have for you readers; do you prefer Quicksilver or Spotlight? What do you feel are the advantages and disadvantages to each?
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