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What's so good about Quicksilver?

A

Antimatter

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 16, 2007
211
1
Everyone recommends Quicksilver when someone gets a new Mac. When I got mine, I read the description of it and didn't download it. Then last week I was bored so I thought I would download it. It's pointless! What do you use it for that makes it worth it's while?

It's easier to find everything yourself than sit there and type something in.

Thanks.
 
If you go to the plug-ins section, you may find some that appeal to you.

Extra Scripts is good, it allows me to quickly empty the trash, shut down etc.

Opening apps and files is speedy too, as is deleting or moving them.

I use QS a lot as an iTunes controller.
 
The big deal about Quicksilver is that you can do things without taking the time to find/launch the application and click through the interface. Hence "Act Without Doing".

Say I want to play the next song in iTunes.
Invoke QS -> Type "iT" -> Hit Tab -> Type Ne -> Hit Enter

All which is faster than finding iTunes under a mess of windows and hitting next.

There's a plethora of plug-ins to choose from for many applications. Quicksilver is ideal for power users that are crazed about efficiency (me, basically). Perhaps it isn't for you, but if you look into it more, I'm sure you'll see the light.
 
I have tried to use QS twice and I can't seem to get the hang of it outside of launching applications. I ditched it for spotlight when Leopard came out.

Some people love it while others find it too complicated. Maybe you're in the last group (like me).
 
yoppie said:
I have tried to use QS twice and I can't seem to get the hang of it outside of launching applications. I ditched it for spotlight when Leopard came out.

Some people love it while others find it too complicated. Maybe you're in the last group (like me).
Click to expand...

It's one of those things where you have to force yourself to use it in order to get used to it. Once you do, you can't get rid of it.
 
ebel3003 said:
The big deal about Quicksilver is that you can do things without taking the time to find/launch the application and click through the interface. Hence "Act Without Doing".

Say I want to play the next song in iTunes.
Invoke QS -> Type "iT" -> Hit Tab -> Type Ne -> Hit Enter

All which is faster than finding iTunes under a mess of windows and hitting next.

There's a plethora of plug-ins to choose from for many applications. Quicksilver is ideal for power users that are crazed about efficiency (me, basically). Perhaps it isn't for you, but if you look into it more, I'm sure you'll see the light.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't it be much easier to hit the skip button on my keyboard to play the next song? Or I could just hit my hot corner assigned to expose and find a new song I want to play? I don't know, it just seems to over complicate things.
 
Antimatter said:
Wouldn't it be much easier to hit the skip button on my keyboard to play the next song? Or I could just hit my hot corner assigned to expose and find a new song I want to play? I don't know, it just seems to over complicate things.
Click to expand...

It all becomes muscle memory. The ability to manipulate applications without invoking them is where QS shines.
 
It takes a bit getting used to. And not all of us have the skip button and some don't want to devote one of their only four precious corner to something so small as skipping to the next song. i have a keyboard shortcut setup through QS to do that.

QS is an INSANELY beautiful software meant to let you get at stuff you access regularly quickly. for example, (i have QS to invoke with :apple:+space) :apple:+space ; aph ; <enter> and you have photoshop. Under two seconds. for :apple:+space ; te ; <enter> for text edit. Not only that, if you type something, and the first choice isn't what you want, next time, QS will remember what your preferences where. I think "intuition" was a big part of was QS does. And this is all without the plugins. Check out the plugins.

If you actually use it, I'll bet that within a week QS will become a reflex.
 
When I first got my Mac, I was reluctant to download QS, as spotlight was just as good for me. I finally took the plunge and I have to say QS has taken spotlight's shorcut (CMD +SPACE).

It can do so much more! Relaunch apps, find files etc. One of the great things that I learnt from QS is that you can search for a file (whatever it may be) and drag that file from the QS window to wherever you want.

e.g. I launch App Zapper.
Say I want to remove Firefox
Launch -> type Fi -> drag the FF logo from QS into app zapper.

It works for everything! Dragging an image into pages etc. etc.

QS has unlimited options, you just have to take the initial plunge...
 
I open bookmarked sites, and folders of sites, with QS. I also mail stuff very quickly.
 
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