Does anyone actually use Launchpad??

[53kyle]

Weird. Mine has that F4 key also, but it only launches Launchpad with fn-F4, not just F4 by itself. I think all the fn modifiers are locked.

Go to System Preferences>Keyboard and un-check "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys."

 

[megalaser]

It's very good, if you set it up properly - Just like your IOS home screens, move icons around, make folders and keep it tidy and relevant to your needs. The only thing I haven't figured out is how to delete empty folders (if anyone can help please), these are left over empty folders after apps have been moved out of them and to other folders or the launchpad desktop - thanks.

 

[Slix]

I use Launchpad all the time. My dock only has my most commonly used applications, and Launchpad is so quick to access by using the 5 finger pinch and open apps with, so I use it quite frequently.

 

[dmj102]

I just tried that for the first time and ended up with a very transparent set of icons. Is it supposed to do that?

Keep pinching in and it'll show up. I just did it.

 

[theSeb]

No, I don't and I don't see the point of it, but if it works for some, then that's ok too.

I don't believe that doing a 5 finger gymnastic gesture and then moving the mouse pointer to the required application and clicking on it could ever be faster than hitting cmd+space, typing the first two or three letters of the desired app and hitting enter.

Then again, I still vividly remember the good, old days when I thought that PC Shell and Xtree were the bomb in comparison to the command prompt and doing everything with a couple of keyboard strokes was the norm.

Why not just drag the entire Applications folder to the right side of the dock (or the bottom, if your using the dock on the side), right click on the folder in the dock and then choose "Display as folder" and "View contents as grid". Then you have the exact same functionality that is easily accessible.

This is how it was in Snow Leopard and it is the "correct" way, in my opinion 🙂 and I think that Launchpad was a pointless addition to solve a problem that wasn't there in the first place. I was actually genuinely surprised when I did a clean install of Lion, or Mountain Lion (can't remember now) and noticed that the Applications folder wasn't in the dock by default.

 

[leventozler]

I don't believe that doing a 5 finger gymnastic gesture and then moving the mouse pointer to the required application and clicking on it could ever be faster than hitting cmd+space, typing the first two or three letters of the desired app and hitting enter.

Waaay faster if your hand is already on trackpad.

Why not just drag the entire Applications folder to the right side of the dock (or the bottom, if your using the dock on the side), right click on the folder in the dock and then choose "Display as folder" and "View contents as grid". Then you have the exact same functionality that is easily accessible.

It wasn't customizable.

 

[theSeb]

Waaay faster if your hand is already on trackpad.

Some of us old people use they keyboard a lot to get our work done. 🙂 I still don't see how it will be faster than taking your hand off the trackpad and doing cmd+space bar. You can do that with your eyes closed.

It wasn't customizable.

You mean that you cannot move the items to the locations you want?

 

[colourfastt]

Waaay faster if your hand is already on trackpad.

I love the assumption everyone has that everyone uses a laptop.

 

[HenryDJP]

I use Launchpad every single day. I only use Stacks for my downloads. I don't like to use Stacks in the Dock so Launchpad takes care of that much more efficiently.

On a sidenote, I really don't get threads like this or the motivation of the OP. There are several features on the Mac OS that not everyone uses. That's the beauty of an OS is to be able to satisfy the needs of as many people as possible.

This kind of the thread basically says: "I don't use such n such a feature so I'm gonna create a thread to get a list of people who are with me that agree Apple shouldn't have bothered putting it in the OS". 🙄

----------

I love the assumption everyone has that everyone uses a laptop.

I love the assumption that everyone that uses a trackpad has a laptop. I have an iMac with the Magic Trackpad. Been using one for years. When you go to the Apple store many of the desktop Macs display only the Magic Trackpad.

 

[Cythth]

I use it daily. I have it organized pretty well.

 

[chabig]

I love the assumption everyone has that everyone uses a laptop.

Huh? I use the Magic Trackpad on my desktop Mac. Five finger pinch in is way faster than going to my Dock or the Applications folder. If my hands are on the keyboard I usually launch from there, though.

 

[GlenK]

Once I spent some time on it I use it. I have it down to one page using folders to condense many items. Quick and easy since that change.

 

[fisherking]

i use it all the time, with all my essential apps on the first page (and everything else on page 2).

with a trackpad, it IS an easy & immediate way to get to apps. but, whatever works. nice to have options...

 

[Nermal]

Keep pinching in and it'll show up. I just did it.

It didn't, and I had to pinch out again to get rid of it as Esc and Cmd-Q didn't work either. Sounds like yet another bug then!

 

[mazz0]

I use it whenever the app I want isn't in my dock. Actually, that's not true, sometimes I use Cmnd+Space. I have removed the icon from my dock though, as I use the touchpad gesture to launch it.

 

[xgman]

I find launchpad to be the most useless feature ever conceived, at least in it's current bloated state. I could support a feature where it starts with nothing in it and then you add what you want from scratch. The idea that everything on your computer is in there by default in no apparent useful order is just mind boggling. Even the 3rd party launchpad utilities ate tedious.

 

[bbfc]

No. To me it's pointless. I just use either the dock or spotlight to launch apps.

 

[mentaluproar]

I use spotlight more, but if I don't remember the name, launchpad is amazing. I can sort things just like I can't on my iPhone and there's a certain method to it.

 

[2499723]

Nope. I just drag the Applications folder into the dock upon a fresh install. Much cleaner and no need to scroll through multiple screens. I suppose there must be some utility to launchpad, but I neither use it nor value it. And, as others have said, Spotlight. That said, the new Spotlight is annoying.

 

[b3av3r]

I use it frequently, I just didn't know it was called launchpad. I only have 1 screen of apps since I have everything organized in folders. I could see if you had several screens of apps it would be easier to use Spotlight or some other method. I have it set to open up with the five finger pinch gesture on my MBA. I can access any of my apps in just a couple seconds this way.

In fact, being a sort of recent Mac convert it has been almost the only way I access my apps, very rarely do I open my applications folder to open an app.

Edit: Also use a hot corner. It's quite quick. No need for Launchpad to take up space on the dock.

Never thought of adding it as a hot corner, doing that right now.

 

[Badrottie]

I still use Launchpad regularly...Never used 5 fingers pinch that much.

 

[dukebound85]

I put the applications folder in my dock and have it in list view.

 

[professorjay]

Love it. Not crazy about the Applications folder because organizing it into subfolders could be problematic.

Apps I use 90% of the time stay in the dock, everything else goes into a handful of Launchpad folders (Audio, Video, Productivity, etc) on page 1. Unnecessary stuff (MS Silverlight?) goes on to page 2 never to be seen again.

If I'm in the middle of typing, then sure I'll launch Spotlight.

But sometimes I forget the name of the app I need and I'll use Launchpad. Typically stuff like a video converter for an odd format or something else I use rarely.

And if I'm in the middle of mostly trackpad use I also find Launchpad more convenient vs cmd+space since I'm already in that 'mode'.

 

[TechGod]

I use it a fair amount. But then again, I also use Spotlight.

 

[n-evo]

Thanks. Yeah, mine is off too but still works. Seems to need a hardcore key remap software.

I never understood why there isn't a Spotlight key on the keyboard.