Spotlight: spotlight window vs. finder window

[mmmdreg]

Now spotlight is pretty useful for me. However, what's with the multiple ways of using it? Personally, I think using the search bar in regular finder windows is the best way. After all, a "find" window is the same thing with a few extras that can be accessed in the standard finder window anyway. The spotlight window itself is probably the most useless part. Does anyone use it? The major reason I like the finder window more is the fact that you can actually do stuff with the search results like copy, delete, see the path! etc etc.

What are other people's views on this?

 

[Freg3000]

I am not a fan of the Spotlight window although I do use it from time to time. My biggest gripe is that it is not "owned" by any application. I would think the Finder should take control, but it doesn't. This means you can't cycle through other open windows with it and can only activate it by clicking on the window. I also find myself wanting to quit the window as if it were an app.

Of course, this is all made up for by the fact that Spotlight itself is awesome.

 

[jacg]

Why can't you ctrl or right-click items in the spotlight menu bar? Like "reveal in finder" or "open with...". I have to "show all" then wait for it seemingly to do the search again. I hope they can build in this flexibility in 10.4.?

(Yes I have asked Apple)

 

[Soulstorm]

Now spotlight is pretty useful for me. However, what's with the multiple ways of using it? Personally, I think using the search bar in regular finder windows is the best way. After all, a "find" window is the same thing with a few extras that can be accessed in the standard finder window anyway. The spotlight window itself is probably the most useless part. Does anyone use it? The major reason I like the finder window more is the fact that you can actually do stuff with the search results like copy, delete, see the path! etc etc.

What are other people's views on this?

First of all, all is made from spotlight. The finder windows implement spotlight on their search. The old search is GONE. Now every search is done with spotlight, even those performed by the top-right text field in every finder window.

The spotlight window is useful for searches that require categorization into their finds, and other complex things. The spotlight window is meant to be used 1-2 times a week tops, for those searches that return many similar results and you ask for something special (for example, documents that were added lately etc).

Even spart folders implement Spotlight! Have you noticed that every time you click on a smart folder, it performs a search?

Anyway, spotlight has a great feature: You can assign a hot key (F1 for instance) to activate the top-right spotlight icon in the apple bar. Then you enter the name, and results are being displayed into a menu.

If you choose "show all", the spotlight window opens. See now how useful it is?