Freeware

Quicksilver - A Unique Launcher with a Plethora of Possibilities

By EAN ⋅ August 8, 2007 ⋅  Email this Post ⋅  Print this Post ⋅ Post a Comment

Developer: Blacktree Software
Version: 1.0B51
Cost: Free (Charityware)
Download Quicksilver Here.

The only thing that I really didn’t like about OSX when I purchased my MacBook was the lack of any easy way to open my programs. Yes, the dock works well for the programs that I use all the time, programs like Firefox, iTunes, and so on - but not for programs I only use every once in awhile. After all, I have at least four different web browsers on my Mac, but I only use a couple of them often. What was I supposed to do with the rest? Navigate all the way to my Applications folder? No way, there had to be some other way.

And that’s when I heard about Quicksilver, the launcher with so much more, for OSX. I installed it that very moment and I’ve never looked back. What a difference it makes, being able to open any program on my computer, most of my documents, and all of my bookmarks with a few keystrokes. Genius!

As I’ve gotten used to using Quicksilver, I’ve realized just how impressive it is - not just as a quick and easy launcher, but as a full featured, system controlling, amazement of a program. I mean just look at this list of programs it interacts with. Quicksilver can practically do anything. And it doesn’t stop there. Quicksilver does everything at my typing speed. It’s like the Superman of programs once my digits get going full speed. To make everything better, Quicksilver’s appearance is even highly customizable. And if you’ve been keeping up with my posts, you know I like customizable stuff - especially free customizable stuff.

Now, that’s the opinion of Quicksilver from a Mac laptop user. Mind you, I only use the touchpad on my MacBook, and very rarely do I hook my MacBook to an external monitor, keyboard, or mouse. However, when I do, Quicksilver suddenly becomes useless.

Here’s the problem. As good as Quicksilver is, it’s inherently tied to the keyboard. It uses hotkeys to activate, and you have to type to get it to open programs. Having a real mouse (and not a trackpad) makes Quicksilver feel like just another program running in the background, soaking up RAM because mousing around, clicking on folders and programs is much faster with a mouse than it is with a trackpad. And it’s also much faster than taking one hand from my precious pointing device, moving it over to the keyboard, hitting the hotkeys, and then typing in what I want to open.

It’s a shame, really, that Quicksilver is so helpful on a laptop, but practically useless on a desktop.

Try Quicksilver for yourself. Prove me wrong. Show me that you can use Quicksilver as well on a desktop as I can on my laptop.

One word of warning. Quicksilver is still very much a beta. It has bugs, lots of them. And it crashes - a lot.

- Eric Norton