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Launchpad...does it actually have a purpose?
- Thread starter rmwebs
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Launchpad is useful to me. As others have pointed out, it's allowed me to narrow down my dock to only the essential apps like Mail and Final Cut. But the other main apps i use are only a click away as i've organised my first page of launch pad to the lesser used but still important apps. To be honest it probably takes me the same amount of time to activate spotlight and enter the correct characters, as i have so many apps on my my machine.
At first, I thought I would absolutely hate Launchpad. However it has pretty much replaced my Applications folder in my dock, since it is pretty much the same thing with more space (entire screen instead of a small grid).
It won't fully replace it until they work out the bugs and let me reeve icons that aren't from the app store.
It won't fully replace it until they work out the bugs and let me reeve icons that aren't from the app store.
If you read the rest of the thread you'll gather that my post was assuming you didn't already have the icon in your Dock.
Either way Dock and / or Spotlight are a LOT faster than the fake iPad interface.
Launchpad feels like it would only make sense if you could touch your screen. I see no purpose for it with a mouse.
I think it would be really great if you could launch anything from Launchpad. Drag any file or folder onto the icon that you regularly use, such as a Movies or pictures folder. At the moment I see little use for it, which is a shame...
It displays all Applications on your Mac, whether they are in the Application folder or not. It helps people who are not experts access Application with out the need to go into finder and looking for it.
I think it would be really great if you could launch anything from Launchpad. Drag any file or folder onto the icon that you regularly use, such as a Movies or pictures folder. At the moment I see little use for it, which is a shame...
It would be nice to be able to put frequently used files into it.
These are good points. On my 30" 2560x1600 display Launchpad is pretty awkward. It fills the whole screen which means I have to move the cursor from one edge to the other to get to certain apps. Yet even with all this space it keeps cramming new apps on a second page. Some sort of scaling option to only fill a portion of the screen would've been essential.
It's a good example of why you shouldn't try to cram touch based UI into a mouse based UI and vice versa.
Mission Control, has allowed for one of my hot corners to be free. I have set the free hot corner to launch pad...I find it a convenient way to get to my apps quickly and without interrupting my work flow.
Granted that it can conceivably be quicker. I like it too to open things without leaving whatever I'm seeing at that moment. However the method is contingent: if I do a spotlight search for photosh I get Photoshop Scripting Guide.pdf (documentation left over way from CS2 and completely foreign to me). So it only works with regularly used applications of which you know the name.
Now if I, on the other hand, organize my launchpad and assign a hot corner to it the process of launching photoshop (undocked) can be as short as flicking the mouse and clicking the icon. No need for scanning pages because I know precisely where I left it. And similarly no need to use the keyboard if I don't want to.
So, much like spotlight, it's convenient for some people some of the time. I think my dad would like it. In conjunction with the App store all knowhow necessary for installing or uninstalling simple applications is none.
You know, that's a really good point. I turned off the indicators, and I've cleared everything out of the dock except Finder and Launchpad.
Launchpad is just another way to access your apps. Just like the Application folder. Some people might argue, what's the point of the Application folder when i can just spotlight everything?
It's just an option, you don't need to use it if you don't want to.
I use Launchpad, it has replaced my Application folder. But when i'm in a rush i use Spotlight. Nothing wrong with it.
It's just an option, you don't need to use it if you don't want to.
I use Launchpad, it has replaced my Application folder. But when i'm in a rush i use Spotlight. Nothing wrong with it.
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"Saves people from finding their apps in Finder"
Does anyone actually do that? Seriously?
You slap the Applications folder on the Dock. Make it open in a grid always. It's basically just a prettier Windows -> Start at that point. Why would you use finder?
Or you use spotlight... or Alfred... or Quicksilver if you know the app name.
If you have an alternate file browser or an app for it, you can navigate apps through the menu bar. (Like Path Finder.)
Or you stick that app on your Dock (something i'm not a big fan of for every application).
Why would you ever use Finder to launch an app?
As far as Launchpad goes, I don't see what it adds that the Applications folder in the Dock doesn't give you. Anything?
Does anyone actually do that? Seriously?
You slap the Applications folder on the Dock. Make it open in a grid always. It's basically just a prettier Windows -> Start at that point. Why would you use finder?
Or you use spotlight... or Alfred... or Quicksilver if you know the app name.
If you have an alternate file browser or an app for it, you can navigate apps through the menu bar. (Like Path Finder.)
Or you stick that app on your Dock (something i'm not a big fan of for every application).
Why would you ever use Finder to launch an app?
As far as Launchpad goes, I don't see what it adds that the Applications folder in the Dock doesn't give you. Anything?
Larger icons and a customizable order. If you take the time (about 5-10 min) you can remove the cruft and have your 20-or so most-favorite apps in one screen.
Is it better or worse than any other method? I'd say it's slightly better than the Applications stack only because you can change the order. But, as other posters have said, it's another way to access apps we are free to ignore or use to pieces.
Like others have said, this is probably the most gimmicky of features since the Dock itself has always been a "launchpad", but whatever. It's a fun little feature that gets its roots from iOS...You can choose to use it or not, so I'm fine with it. Probably took Apple 15 minutes to develop
I like it. I like not having to overstuff my dock. It seems a lot more organized, in my opinion. But, I'm a little bit of a freak on computer organziation. It always drove me crazy when I had more than 8-9 apps in my dock. And yeah, I could use spotlight. But I never really /do/ use it, so... using it now would be just a foreign to me as using LaunchPad.
The only thing I'd change about it is the option to have unlimited apps in a folder. I understand why its not like that on the iPhone/iPad... but come on, this is a computer. We should be able to put however many apps we want in a folder.
That, and its also a bit hard to organize at first. But I also assume the little issues people have with it will change as we get more updates for the OS.
The only thing I'd change about it is the option to have unlimited apps in a folder. I understand why its not like that on the iPhone/iPad... but come on, this is a computer. We should be able to put however many apps we want in a folder.
That, and its also a bit hard to organize at first. But I also assume the little issues people have with it will change as we get more updates for the OS.
I have only one reason to use launchpad. When I'm using a full-screen app (such as Safari, like I'm doing now) if I desire to launch another app without either switching spaces or using mission control (so that I can see my dock), I have a hot corner in the bottom left of the screen that launches LaunchPad so that I can quickly select another app, only because the dock is hidden with full-screen apps and I don't know how to show it when in full-screen mode.
What I'm trying to say is, I have no other use for LaunchPad other than when I'm in a full-screen app, the dock is a MUCH faster way to launch something in comparison. Then again, like others have said, I can even just use spotlight too, and that's nice and quick.
I honestly think launchpad is only there for those people who may own an iPhone or iPad and want to switch to a Mac, but have no idea how to use one.
What I'm trying to say is, I have no other use for LaunchPad other than when I'm in a full-screen app, the dock is a MUCH faster way to launch something in comparison. Then again, like others have said, I can even just use spotlight too, and that's nice and quick.
I honestly think launchpad is only there for those people who may own an iPhone or iPad and want to switch to a Mac, but have no idea how to use one.
I didn't think so either, at first, but the dock is still usable in fullscreen apps. I have my dock on auto-hide and when I drag my cursor to the bottom of the screen and move it a bit, it appears. This could be useful for you if you don't mind auto-hide and still like using the dock : )