App and Mac Organization Questions?

[PicnicTutorials]

On my iPad and iPhone I have all my hundreds of apps in folders - office, photo, utilities, etc, etc. Both devices are exact mirror images of each other. This makes device switching seamless. AKA i don't have to change my brain over with each device. I am trying to do this with my iMac right now but having difficulties.

First I hit a wall with OSX has a 28 app limit in folders within the launchpad. Ouch! Get with it apple developers. I HAVE figured out how add folders in the left and right side of my dock. Cool. But not really doable. If I delete a app the corresponding app link in the dock folder does not delete. That is too much room for error. Ya today I remember whats what. But in a year from now I'd have all these orphaned app links. Is there a way to organize all my apps into folders that I am not seeing???

 

[onekerato]

Something to consider...

Perhaps you can prune down the 28 apps to less than 10 that you really need to run manually? Most utilities are usually set up as "login items" that automatically launch and run in the background or menu bar. You could "pin" these 10 apps directly to the dock if you must.

Mac "power users" usually launch or activate apps - manually - using LaunchBar or Alfred or Spotlight. Not many who will locate and open apps using Launchpad (the iOS-like UI showing rows of app icons)

On my iPad and iPhone I have all my hundreds of apps in folders - office, photo, utilities, etc, etc. Both devices are exact mirror images of each other. This makes device switching seamless. AKA i don't have to change my brain over with each device. I am trying to do this with my iMac right now but having difficulties.

First I hit a wall with OSX has a 28 app limit in folders within the launchpad. Ouch! Get with it apple developers. I HAVE figured out how add folders in the left and right side of my dock. Cool. But not really doable. If I delete a app the corresponding app link in the dock folder does not delete. That is too much room for error. Ya today I remember whats what. But in a year from now I'd have all these orphaned app links. Is there a way to organize all my apps into folders that I am not seeing???

 

[aristobrat]

Interesting thread!

In my years on the forums here I've seen tons of posts from Mac users complaining every time Apple does anything to make OS X more like iOS.

This is the first thread I've personally seen where someone is complaining that Mac OS X isn't more like iOS!

To the OPs point, if Apple is going to make an apple like Launchpad that mirror iOS, it's kind of silly to have it have different limits, like 28 apps per folder.

Personally, OS X isn't iOS, so I don't manage my apps the same way.

With OS X, I put my frequently used apps in the dock. For non-frequently used apps, I use Spotlight. To me, hitting COMMAND-SPACE, typing the first few letters of the apps name, and then hitting Enter to launch it is quicker than using the mouse to open a folder, find the app, and then clicking to launch it.

 

[robgendreau]

On my iPad and iPhone I have all my hundreds of apps in folders - office, photo, utilities, etc, etc. Both devices are exact mirror images of each other. This makes device switching seamless. AKA i don't have to change my brain over with each device. I am trying to do this with my iMac right now but having difficulties.

First I hit a wall with OSX has a 28 app limit in folders within the launchpad. Ouch! Get with it apple developers. I HAVE figured out how add folders in the left and right side of my dock. Cool. But not really doable. If I delete a app the corresponding app link in the dock folder does not delete. That is too much room for error. Ya today I remember whats what. But in a year from now I'd have all these orphaned app links. Is there a way to organize all my apps into folders that I am not seeing???

Your applications are all stored in the Applications folder by default, although some utiiities are stored in a subfolder called Utilities. What you see in LaunchPad is just another virtual organization for your convenience; the applications you put in groups in LauchPad don't actually move from their actual storage space.

Developers (for MacOS, not necessarily working for Apple) have got with it; there are tons of application launchers out there; just type that into MacUpDate.com. One of the most popular is DragThing, but as noted many of us prefer keyboard activated launchers like LaunchBar. They can do many many other things as well, and are much better than what Apple offers.

 

[PicnicTutorials]

Thanks for the tips guys I will check that out. Ya I'm not seeing much benifit to organizing the apps in launchpad. Although creating folders in applications folder within finder seems to work well. And if I delete a app in there it is seemingly deleted everywhere. I will play with it. But this seems like a good way to organize thigs if your putting things in a folder in order to put the folder into the dock. Looks like I will have to change my work flow. I have always resisted the keyboard short cuts and like in favour of the mouse and right clicks. But Mac seems to to not like this method. Mac seems easier with keyboard short cuts and drag and drop.

 

[PicnicTutorials]

Interesting thread!

In my years on the forums here I've seen tons of posts from Mac users complaining every time Apple does anything to make OS X more like iOS.

This is the first thread I've personally seen where someone is complaining that Mac OS X isn't more like iOS!

To the OPs point, if Apple is going to make an apple like Launchpad that mirror iOS, it's kind of silly to have it have different limits, like 28 apps per folder.

Personally, OS X isn't iOS, so I don't manage my apps the same way.

With OS X, I put my frequently used apps in the dock. For non-frequently used apps, I use Spotlight. To me, hitting COMMAND-SPACE, typing the first few letters of the apps name, and then hitting Enter to launch it is quicker than using the mouse to open a folder, find the app, and then clicking to launch it.

Spotlight works well thank you. That is very fast. I still will longingly await the 28 app limits removal though. An organized computer brings me peace. It's my little zen garden.

 

[aristobrat]

Spotlight works well thank you. That is very fast. I still will longingly await the 28 app limits removal though. An organized computer brings me peace. It's my little zen garden.

I don't know if this will help with any of the zen aspect, but Apple accepts feedback. Might as well let them know about the 28 app limit, ... it may be something that's slipped their radar.

http://www.apple.com/feedback