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Launchpad...does it actually have a purpose?

R

rmwebs

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Apr 6, 2007
3,140
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I've had Lion up and running for a day or two now, however I really can't get my head around the point of Launchpad. It looks fancy, it's smooth and has great animations.

But whats the point of it? It doesn't replace the desktop, so you can't have it running all the time with apps on top of it, meaning you either have to hit the keyboard shortcut, dock icon or one of the corners of your screen to make it actually work.

Not sure if its just me but it seems like Apple have added it simply because they can. It seems totally impractical for regular use and comes across simply as a replacement to the Applications folder, which you rarely open anyway as you can use the dock stack or just use spotlight to launch an app.

I just dont get the point... :confused:
 
WiBu said:
It seems primarily aimed at touchpad users.
Click to expand...

I agree that the UI design would work better for the touchpad, however even still it would still work out quicker to launch apps via dock and/or spotlight.

The main problem is it effectively closing when you've launched an app, and not remaining in the background.

You're effectively opening an app (thats all launchpad is at the end of the day), to open another app...by the time you've opened Launchpad you could have opened the actual app you wanted :/
 
I agree... I think Apple is trying to make some stuff easier for ex-Windows users (or the technologically clueless) to use-since iOS is so ubiquitous now, they figure instead of people having to search through their computer to find their apps, they just clickity-click the little rocket ship and they're all there like a giant iPad. No effort, no learning curve!
 
launchpad- completely unnecessary and a waste of time and programming resource.

took it out of my dock and disabled the gesture.

like a pseudo windows desktop full of every icon you can imagine, and just as useless.

stick to spotlight.

s.
 
So your choices are;

Put the programs you use on your dock, or put an icon on your dock to get to the programs you use...pointless.
 
Makes no sense to me. But neither does Mission Control with apps. I don't need to see what apps I have open. I can see what's open in the dock and can click on the icon to get there?
 
command + spacebar is my launch pad - and will continue to be :)

spotlight for the win.
 
At first use Launchpad seems clunky and slightly time consuming to me. Also, when I open a folder in it the split-screen animation that follows is very jerky (I am on a 2008 MBP but still..) :rolleyes:

On a related note - the mixture of the space-faring theme (mission control, launchpad, spacey backgrounds as standard) with the big cat name, smacks of lack of direction in the design dept.
 
Launchpad would have been better if it wasn't so un-flexable. This is what I think Apple need to do to make it better.

  • Have it do you can select more than one App. One App at once makes organising a pain.
  • Make it reflect the Applications folder exactly. The fact that the Applications folder can have a different layout to Launchpad is just bizarre and confusing.
  • The ability to have unlimited apps in folders.
  • Resize icons and a 'stack-like' mode for them with larger screens.
  • The ability to any app from it, either by dragging to the trash or clicking the X in jiggle mode.
  • Right click menus as well please.
 
Doing a clean install, Applications folder is no more, I think the launchpad feels more organized than the Applications folder used to be.
 
The point is that you don't have to overstuff your dock, that it loads quicker than the applications folder and that the icons don't move around each time you add an app like they might in your docked applications folder if it's in grid view. Also it's bigger than grid view.
 
I think Launchpad is just the first step in Apples plan. Over the next couple of Major OS releases I would not be surprised to see the Launchpad interface become the standard browsing app launching interface.

"Advanced" Users that wanted to get in and move around folders and files will just launch Finder as an app. So basically the opposite of the way it is set up now.

That's just the direction Apple seems to be headed.
 
uuaschbaer said:
The point is that you don't have to overstuff your dock, that it loads quicker than the applications folder and that the icons don't move around each time you add an app like they might in your docked applications folder if it's in grid view. Also it's bigger than grid view.
Click to expand...

You don't have to overstuff your dock as it is.

Whats quicker:

Hit CMD + Space, type 'Photosh' then enter - Photoshop Opens

OR

Click 'LaunchPad' in your Dock, Scan the page (or pages if you have a lot installed) for the 'Photoshop CS5' Directory, open the Directory, Click the 'Photoshop.app' icon.

See the point here? Its a very slow way of launching apps.

I'll give it a few months before it goes the same way as Dashboard...I.E being a feature hardly anyone uses.
 
If you are running a mac with a small screen like an 11inch air or even 13inch MBP, the launchpad can be useful as there is not much room in your Doc on smaller screens.
 
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