“Love it or hate, Mac OS X’s Dock comes with every Mac. It’s where we go to open an application or utility, find a document, and get lost,” Bambi Hambi writes for Mac360.
Hambi writes, “The Dock has limitations which have spawned plenty of application launchers; some good, some not so. Ready for another? Try Overflow.”
“QuickSilver has set the tone for a different paradigm for application launchers. The keyboard. DragThing is my current and long running favorite. Simple, elegant, powerful, always there without a click. Application launchers are not a dime a dozen. Once we get used to one, switching to another is a challenge,” Hambi writes.
Hambi writes, “Challenge yourself to a few hours with Overflow. Elegant, quick, simple, effective, easy to learn and set up and use.”
More info and links to all of the apps Hambi covers in the full article here.
The Dock Rocks! I have every app that I use on a regular basis in my Dock. Works wonderfully. Also have my disks, my Apps folder and my Docs folder. If I need an app that is not in the dock, I probably don’t use it often but I know that I can easily find it in the Apps folder.
I have a few apps set to open automatically when I log in since I run them pretty much 24/7 so they’re in my dock bey default. I have about 5 other apps that I also use pretty much 24/7 so I keep them in the dock since it’s quicker to just do one click to open them. For anything that I don’t use everyday I use quicksilver and it takes a couple of keystrokes to get something running.
I use modifiers and the scroll ball click feature to access many different things.
I can have up to fifteen different shortcuts programmed to that center button just by changing which modifier keys (Shift, Control, Option, Command) combination I’m holding down when I click. For instance, clicking the center button gives me exposé (I can’t stand having to reach for the F keys each time I need it) and with Shift key, it gives me Application Exposé, Option gives me Desktop and Control gives me Dashboard.
i know a lot of people who don’t like the dock for one reason or another, but i’ve always liked it. i suppose it could stand to be a little more customizable but i really think it’s great as-is, so i don’t feel the need to try third-party solutions. in fact, i like the dock enough that for the longest time i went looking for a dock-like solution for my mac os 9 computers. can’t remember what the name of that proggy was but it was about 1/10th as elegant (like the rest of os 9).
mw: middle. garageband is the icon in the middle of my dock. what about yours?
The Dock is great but for my money (actually it’s free) Quicksilver is the gem of launchers and much more…
What exactly are the Dock’s limitations? I’m yet to encounter any. As Jimbo says, if you want instant access to all your apps, drag the Applications folder into the Dock.
I use DragThing and the Dock pretty much exclusively.
The Dock has my most-used programs in it that I start up each morning, keep it on the right-hand side of the screen. Then I have five Drag-Thing tabs in a single drawer on the left-hand side of the screen that contain all my apps, games, internet tools, etc., along with some weblinks, file folder links, and network drives. Very handy to get to instantly.
Not sure I could operate as effectively without either one.
Dock for regularly used apps.
HimmelBar when I need to find other apps or get into utilities.
Some applications I open first, then open (or create new) the document I want to work on. Those applications that I use with any frequncy applications are in the Dock. Examples are editors and office apps. Also Mail and Safari.
Other applications I open by opening a document. These applications are not in the Dock. Examples are Preview and the QuickTime player.
And some applciations I just don’t use often enough to warrant keeping in the Dock. In my case, that’s most of iLife – your situation may be different.
I alos have multiple accounts – work vs. personal. Each has a Dock configured to what I do in that account.
My dock has exactly 4 apps, Adium, Camino, System Prefs and….Quicksilver, which launches the rest of my 40 apps since I don’t like the dock’s magnification effect.
I don’t like two things about the Dock.
1) When I put my mouse pointer over there to get the Dock to come out of hiding, it doesn’t pop out fast enough. No big deal, but I wish it was faster.
2) The thing that bothers me more is that when you click-hold on an icon and its options or contents are presented, if you then try to slide the cursor to other Dock icons, it won’t move. You have to release the cursor hold first, and then re-click on the next thing. This is how the main menu at the top used to work a long time ago in system 7.6 and before. And also, when you do click to reveal the contents of a folder or options of an application, again it takes too long for that window to pop open.
Xisiqo,
You can disable the magnification in the Dock Preference Pane.
AppleGuy
i don’t think there’s any one right or best way tolaunch applications, but for me, it’s LaunchBar.
For years I used DragThing and a few other drawer/floater type launchers, but they were a pain in the butt to build and maintain. Hunting for the application icon I wanted… which floater, which tab, etc. got slower and slower.
In comparison, LaunchBar was a revelation. Hit Command-Space and type a letter or two (S for Safari, M for Mail, PS for Photoshop, VW for VectorWorks, IT for iTunes, etc.) then Return or Enter and it’s done!
QuickSilver works about the same and is free, but I just got used to using LaunchBar, had paid and that’s it.
I rarely use the Dock and use mostly for printer icons mostly… I have various clients with different printers… Laserjet, inkjet, plotters, etc…. so using the Dock makes it easy to manage print jobs.
But to add, I also don’t understand why special launchers are needed. I just make aliases of all the programs I use on a fairly regular basis and put those aliases in a folder. Then I place that folder in my Dock. With one click of the folder I have instant access to launching any of those programs.
LAUNCHBAR !!
the dock is the way….
I have 72 icons on my doc on a 20″ monitor…..no problem and magnification turned at max and size turned at minimum
a quick swipe across the bottom and I have access to anything I need….quickly
Since the dock shows everything in one place and is very simple to learn and use it is perfect for a family of 4. It may or may not be the theoretical “best” solution but it is the best for us.
Not that you asked.
Oops : there is a setting in leaopard to decide the delay in the springing on the dock. That might be what your after
I don’t get it. I just drag my App folder to the dock bar. Right click on it or click and hold to get a “Start” like app launcher. In the end I didn’t have to pay for something I didn’t need.
“in fact, i like the dock enough that for the longest time i went looking for a dock-like solution for my mac os 9 computers.”
OS 9’s control strip is the dock’s predecessor (control strip modules not shipped with the Mac were available). FWIW, I didn’t like it, either. I dumped the dock for Classic Menu.
“OOPS” that is exactly what I did. I have 4 different users on my home mac plus an admin user. I made a folder that contains shortcuts to all my apps, but I subdivided them “Apps” “Games” and “Utilities”. I then put a shortcut to this folder in each users dock so every user on my machine has the same access to apps. This is easier than searching the Application folder for the executable file. The Application folder is also full of all kinds of other stuff that makes just launching and app more difficult. I also made a custom icon for the apps launcher folder. And it didn’t cost me anything.
Who hates the Dock? I couldn’t live with out it…well I could…but it would be a whole lot less convenient
I use Spotlight a bit like Quicksilver…space-cmd and hit the first couple letters of an application i want. it works nicely. the biggest issue is that i think i have to hit a down area key, instead of just return….still it’s quite usable.
I just dragged the Applications folder to the right side of the dock. If I need an App that’s not already in the dock, all I have to do is right click the Apps folder in my dock. Nice and simple.
LaunchBar is fast, simple and keeps me from having to use the mouse… whether it’s to find an address or a previously visited website, launch an application, whatever. Just hit Command-Space and start typing. When you like what you see, hit Enter and your app is launching. (If it’s a phone number, the number goes BIG on your screen for as long as you need it.) Don’t even try to take away my LaunchBar!
I like spotlight.
I love the dock. I used to keep the Applications folder in the dock for less often used apps, now I’m using apple-space to pull up spotlight and launch from there. I find that easier and quicker than the app folder in the dock.
Quicksilver
Its the only way to go. Plus it does waaaay more than just launch apps. If you are quick with a keyboard you can go for a long time without even touching the mouse (unless we are talking about a day full of graphic work or something).
I happen to love the dock as well. But a quick couple of keystrokes will get you going much faster without breaking your concentration much faster than a trip to the Dock and/or a Finder window. You must give Quicksilver a try (and DO read the tutorials and other information – it helps get going a lot faster).
I’m with ya’, Face… command-space, couple of keystrokes, return
Take the time to add a few custom abbreviations in spotight comments in the ‘get info’ pane (APS for photoshop, for example), and launching programs is a snap. From the keynote, it sounds like Apple is going to enhance the program launcher in spotlight as well.
NAMELY – it’s a great app, like LaunchBar from what I read here. Very fast, customizable keystoke activator, and opens either the app (click) or shows it in the finder (command-click).
I like a small auto-hiding Dock on the right for apps that I need to drag things to in order to open them (but don’t want it to be the default app.). For example Photoshop, Safari, Preview, Mail, and QuickTime.
You can use Spotlight in place of Namely, LaunchBar, and other “type-the-first letter-of-the app” launchers, but Spotlight is way too slow to be practical for anyone but Grandma.
MDN: “give” as in “Give Namely a try”, you might like it!
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Nikhil:
Re: your biggest issue with spotlight-as-launcher: Command-Return will open the “top hit,” which, I believe, will always be an application (if it’s a match).
In fact, I don’t know if LaunchBar does anything else, but I fail to see how that’s any better than what’s built-in. Even with Spotlight, type in the first few letters (e.g., “it”), hit command-return, and there’s iTunes. Try it.
The dock rocks.
isn’t this where the multiple desktops comes in?
Leopard will provide this awesome feature that I intend to use this way;
one desktop for IT/Utilities/system prefs (I admin the work macs)
one desktop for work
one desktop for home
I dont always have one set of “24/7” apps and one set of “occasional” apps. What I have is a set I use work, and a set i use at home.
Some apps appear in both sets, but all the apps from those sets are too many.
Oops and Shipwithsails,
You don’t need to make a folder of aliases. Just drag your Applications folder (or any folder really) to the right side of the Dock. An alias to that folder is created there. The beauty of this is that the alias folder in the Dock updates automatically whenever you add anything to the parent folder (including your Apps folder).
I’ve used DragThing since I bought my first Mac, and probably always will. I’ve come to rely on the quick drag-and-drop access to my most-used apps and folders, and the quick browsing of folders with right-click. I also have my DragThing docks set up to simulate the “tabbed folders” from OS 9, little bars at the bottom of the screen that “pop up” into lists of apps or folders when I click on them, and shrink back when I click anywhere else.
As for LaunchBar? I see why so many people love it, but I could never use it.
See, LaunchBar vs. DragThing comes down to how you prefer to use your computer. If you hate the mouse and prefer to do everything via the keyboard, LaunchBar is the way to go. I’m the opposite. I hate the keyboard and prefer to use it for as little as possible, ideally one-character shortcuts I can enter with my left hand. That’s why I love DragThing: it’s pure mousy goodness.
The Dock is just OK. Not great. One of the problems with the Dock, you can’t drag and drop files into a folder w/o first opening it. It’s not infinitely expandable like a drop down menu, the more stuff you put in it the littler it becomes, till it’s nt very useful. And I want the AppleMenu back too.
Spotlight for searching documents. Butler for everything else and more.
I’ve been using it for years now. I can barely operate a mac without it now. So inuitive, so fast.
I went with Overflow. It’s dead easy to use – no learning curve. I have about 30 apps in it, arranged by type, and it’s just a natural extension of the Dock. Strongly recommended for users that want to keep it simple.
Hmmm…I may try Oops’ idea; that way I can organize all my applications into Media, Writing, and Games categories, maybe just leaving things like my browsers and Mail as standalone programs in the Dock…
FruitMenu and the Apple Dock
I love Apple’s Dock, but it is overburdened, especially since the long and jumbled Apple Applications folder is not categorized into a few logical subfolders. So, I supplement Dock functionality with Unsanity’s FruitMenu haxie. I use it to place aliases of all Utilities (OS X, Hard Disk, Network, Backup & Sync, DAs, A/V, Graphics and Scripting) into categorized folders, and then display these folders all right under the Apple menu, where these system software tools logically belong (with the Apple menu’s other commands, such as About This Mac, and System Preferences, aliases to the Computer, Home folder and Search, and of course Sleep, Restart, Log Out and Shutdown).
I also make extensive use of Apple’s optional Menu Icons (to the left of the Spotlight tool) for even quicker access to Apple’s Sound, Airport, Bluetooth, iSync, iChat, Battery, Monitor, Scripting, and Date & Time tools. I’ve even added a third-aprty tool, WeatherPop, which I still like better than Apple’s Weather Dashboard Widget.
This approach combines the best of OS 9 navigation with the best of new age OS X tools, and results in an elegant and intuitive organization that leaves the Dock free for the most frequently used Applications. I then organize Dock Applications into categories, (Internet, Office, Pro Graphics, iLife) and separate these using blank Dock Spacers, some of which can be found through Google or Version Tracker.
FruitMenu works using Unsanity’s Application Enhancer (APE), which also powers other system enhancent tools on the market. Some APE/FruitMenu users have encountered an occasional incompatibility with yet another popular category of system haxies — Menu Extras. However, I also use Unsanity’s Menu Extra Enabler, a utility that enables third-party menu extras on Jaguar, Panther, and Tiger. With this utility also installed, FruitMenu has been very stable for me.
Love the Dock.
Just learning to really USE it.
A handful of apps sit in the open on all my Docks – three accounts on my system – and Safari is one of them. Each also hosts another handful – a group that differs depending on need. Then there’s a couple of “folders” that sit below the ‘line’, that spring open when RMB’d – that’s the trick I’m working on right now.
“Utilities” – these don’t get used often, individually, but one or another, yes.
“Games” – OK, guilty … but they don’t clutter my Desktop or Dock.
“Communication” – three browsers, three chats, a news aggregator, etc.
“A/V” – I only use these regularly from one login.
Three ‘folders’ insuring I have rapid access to three dozen items I use semi-regularly … an elegant solution.
My most frequently used apps are in the Dock. Anything else I” either go to my Apps folder for, or hit command + space and type it into spotlight and hit it.
Honestly, my G5 with Tiger is so stable and efficient with memory that most of my apps are running all the time (Adobe PS & Indd, Mail, Safari, Acrobat & TextWrangler, Cyberduck, iTunes and more). And since I never turn it off, I don’t have to start apps too often. But when I do, everything I need is right there in the dock. It’s a beautiful thing.
What is with the complaints about the Dock? Everything you want is right there. Don’t like it at the side? Move it. Don’t like the magnification or it’s magnified too much? Change it or turn it off. Think the dock is in the way of your apps when you work? Hide it. Think the icons are too big? Change them to just about any size you prefer. The bouncing animation really irks you? Turn it off.
Man…it’s great. I use it all the time. What’s up with people?
Spotlight for hidden, Dock for non.
How much simpler can it get?
Dock is solid, and very flexible to fit with a wide range of user styles.
I hide it, keep it small, turn off magnification, have no applications or folders on it, and rarely use it.
I use LaunchBar to launch applications (it’s much faster then Spotlight, and you don’t have to hit the down arrow), but it seems like Apple is going to update this feature in Leapord.
And of course, the Apple-Tab for Application switching. There’s nothing faster then opening an app with 4 keys, Apple-tabbing to a different app as it opens, composing an email or two, then going back when it’s ready to rock.
I’ll check out Quicksilver though.
I use the dock for drag and drop… firefox browser incase safari won’t open it, fire works, preview, photoshop, drop compress, free DMG, and app zapper these are things I like to drag and drop on. I also keep a few favorite folders at the bottom and a downloads folder. Keep it on the right side. No magnification and never hidden. My HD is not obscured by it, so I always have access to any mounted drives.
My most used launcher is Launch Bar. I have used this for a long time if you want something similar and free try quicksilver.
Butler is launcher of choice for me. Quick, simple and I don’t have to use a mouse.