(92)
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LaunchBar is an award winning productivity utility that offers an amazingly intuitive and efficient way to search and access any kind of information stored on your computer or on the web. It provides instant access to your applications, documents, contacts and bookmarks, to your music library, to search engines and more, just by entering short abbreviations of the searched item's name.
You just hit Command-Space to bring LaunchBar's input window to front, enter an arbitrary abbreviation, and as soon as you start typing LaunchBar displays the best matching choices, ready to
You just hit Command-Space to bring LaunchBar's input window to front, enter an arbitrary abbreviation, and as soon as you start typing LaunchBar displays the best matching choices, ready to
What's New
Version 5.2:
LaunchBar 5.2 requires Mac OS X 10.6 or later. If you wish to run LaunchBar with an older version of Mac OS X, please install LaunchBar 5.1 instead.
New Features and Improvements:
- When LaunchBar is opened via hotkey it no longer shows its own menu bar. Instead, the menu bar of the currently active application remains visible.
- Improved implementation of Instant Send.
- When a text action is invoked via Send-to or Instant Send (for example, when sending text to a search template, service or script), the text is now registered in the text input history. The text can then be accessed in a subsequent text action via Shift-Space or Shift-Return.
- Improved LaunchBar’s Recent Items list (which can be invoked with Command-B) to include folders that have been traversed via browsing, or have been used as an argument for actions such as "Open Terminal Here" (Command-T).
- New built-in action: Clear Recent Items
- When entering a web search, Command-Return can now be used to create the URL that represents the query rather than actually performing the search.
- Enhanced browsing functionality: Shift-Left can be used to show the contents of the selected item’s parent folder. This is especially useful while browsing an application’s recent documents.
- The list of available search template URL text encodings has been extended.
- Updated MacUpdate search template in the factory configuration.
- The "Append English filename" option has been re-added to LaunchBar Preferences > Advanced.
- Redesigned icons in preferences window.
- Creating calendar entries no longer requires iCal to be running.
- When entering calendar entries it’s now possible to specify multiple alerts, separated with a blank character. Example: Meeting @ Feb 12 4d! 30m!
- The default alert time for all-day events and reminders is now 8:00 AM.
- Significantly improved performance of iTunes playback in case of large iTunes libraries.
- iTunes playback now also works with iCloud remote tracks and iTunes Match.
- Improved detection of classical genres in iTunes, considering localized genre names. This information is used for determining the “Primary Artist” of a track.
- Improved iTunes playback: When selecting a song from a playlist, the song is now played in the context of that playlist.
- Improved indexing of installed applications. The indexer now utilizes the Spotlight index for retrieving the locations all installed applications.
- Improved indexing to include Wi-Fi Diagnostics.app in the Applications index.
- Improved indexing to find applications that are located inside Xcode’s application package.
- Updated developer documentation indexing to work with documentation sets installed by Xcode 4.3.
- Improved developer documentation indexing. It's now possible to specify the desired platform (OS X, iOS, All Platforms).
- The developer documentation is grouped by platforms in categories (e.g. "Mac OS X Developer Guides", "iOS Reference Files", "Developer Tools Release Notes" etc.). This allows to sub-search within a particular subset of documentation files.
- Improved Info.plist / NSServices browsing, showing all service names at a glance.
- Fixes an issue that could cause LaunchBar to be shown without a shadow immediately after login.
- Fixes an issue with the LaunchBar Help causing some chapters to be unaccessible.
- Fixed: Switching to LaunchBar with Command-Tab didn't open the bar.
- Fixes an issue with the placement of the LaunchBar window in fullscreen mode.
- Fixes an issue with the display of the search result list when the LaunchBar window position is at the bottom of the screen.
- Fixes a rare crash that could occur when upgrading from an older version of LaunchBar.
- Fixes an issue with address book labels containing parentheses.
- Fixes a crash that could occur while indexing the services of certain third party applications.
- Fixes an issue causing some preference panes to be displayed with a wrong icon.
- Fixes an issue causing the Messages.app beta to be still shown as iChat.app.
- Fixes an issue causing LaunchBar to appear at the wrong location with apps running in fullscreen mode.
- Addresses an issue causing the entered abbreviation to be displayed at the wrong location.
- Fixes a crash related to Services indexing.
- Fixed: In Lion, selecting Terminal.app and pressing Space didn’t offer the “Run Terminal Command” action.
- Fixed: Finder > Recent Folders browsing didn’t work in Lion.
- Fixes an issue with the playback of Best Of Lists.
- Fixes an issue when attempting to replace a file with itself.
- Fixes a rare line break issue in the large type display.
- Removed the “Play from Music Library” playback option.
Version 5.2:
LaunchBar 5.2 requires Mac OS X 10.6 or later. If you wish to run LaunchBar with an older version of Mac OS X, please install LaunchBar 5.1 instead.
New Features and Improvements:
- When LaunchBar is opened via hotkey it no longer shows its own menu bar. Instead, the menu bar of the currently active application remains visible. more...
Requirements
Intel, Mac OS X 10.6 or later
Intel, Mac OS X 10.6 or later
LaunchBar User Discussion (Write a Review)
Overall:
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LaunchBar is an award winning productivity utility that offers an amazingly intuitive and efficient way to search and access any kind of information stored on your computer or on the web. It provides instant access to your applications, documents, contacts and bookmarks, to your music library, to search engines and more, just by entering short abbreviations of the searched item's name.
You just hit Command-Space to bring LaunchBar's input window to front, enter an arbitrary abbreviation, and as soon as you start typing LaunchBar displays the best matching choices, ready to be opened immediately.
Start applications, open documents, invoke system services, compose emails or navigate the web - LaunchBar will be your essential servant.
You just hit Command-Space to bring LaunchBar's input window to front, enter an arbitrary abbreviation, and as soon as you start typing LaunchBar displays the best matching choices, ready to be opened immediately.
Start applications, open documents, invoke system services, compose emails or navigate the web - LaunchBar will be your essential servant.
Copyright © 2012 MacUpdate LLC
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+726
Espiridion reviewed on 10 May 2012
http://www.macworld.com/article/1165756/be_more_productive_with_launchbar_part_1.html
I've used alternatives and always return to LaunchBar. In terms of speed, features and support it is an essential application for me.
They added a Clipboard feature a while ago, but I don't use it since there are better alternatives available.
+83
Macmaria reviewed on 10 May 2012
I cannot emphasize enough how important this app is for me. LB is one of the first (if not the first) app to install on my macs. (Note: I also use Alfred, but much less; although I consider it top notch, I'm too used to LB and its workflow.)
Things that I love to do with LB (besides the obvious launch of apps):
- Several searches on the web, especially costumized ones.
- Launch websites from bookmarks or history.
- Launch applescripts (open several websites at the same time, restart finder, rebuilt services, etc.
- Merge clipboard (the best thing ever!)
- Move/copy files (and other operations like send x file to mail or to an app).
- Search and browse files and folder. (Mostly using Tembo or Spotlight templates.)
Things I’d like to see improved on LB:
- Improved calculator: like memorizing last operation.
- Converting tool: ex. 15 USD in EUR, 15 feet in cm, etc.
There is a learning curve, but check the tutorial videos the devs have made; they really help.
+4
+20
Parkerbennett reviewed on 18 Apr 2012
+1
+338
+258
+6
PRjohnson reviewed on 08 Mar 2012
-5
+47
Vinkri reviewed on 15 Dec 2011
Does what it says. It's efficient and quick: a simple shortcut and LB is up: type some letters and it will select the relevant items.
Exactly what Quicksilver does, faster and 100% cheaper.
Right, you can't do some of the stuff you can do with Launchbar (write an email or drag n drop stuff).
Who cares? I don't.
I really believe that Launchbar is too expensive for what it does, especially with a competitor like Quicksilver: more reliable and more intuitive.
+12
But what is the use of all those features that Quicksilver got if they're hard to find an unintuitive!
+61
So we split up and Launchbar is indeed my new love: It's fast, it's stable, it has a truckload of features that don't bloat the app - it just feels right. It has a nice forum and an active support. So, paying a few bucks for quality was a no-brainer for me. The last paid upgrade was quite a few years ago, and I use it a hundred times each day. So my personal cost-benefit-calculation comes to quite a different result.
+1
+12
Rasputinsrevengereloadet reviewed on 08 Dec 2011
Tried QuickSilver maybe I was to stupid for it ...
Tried Alfred maybe it was to stupid for me ...
Love LaunchBar!
+1
+8
Eightholding reviewed on 05 Nov 2011
-1
-90
Alessandro82 reviewed on 24 Oct 2011
+1
+12
+1
+139
Better yet, if you press-and-hold the last key of a shortcut, it opens without having to press return. E.g. I use 'S' for System Preferences, so I can open it by hitting cmd-space, then just press-and-hold 'S' and it opens. LaunchBar rocks.
+2
+6
Steadysignal reviewed on 22 Sep 2011
+10
I'm not sure if it's because i'm also giving googledesktop search/service a trial run which is also currently indexing everything (multiple drives are attached by firewire 400 at times) or if it's just cuz LaunchBar is high cpu usage on ppc g5 running 10.4.11 or the combination of what I have on my system is just not compatible (for instance I'm turning to these spotlight alternatives b/c spotlight just completely stopped working for no reason that I can determin.
Plus, the console is FULL of these MDs related errors:
# Can't checkin with server named com.apple.metadata.mdserver, error 0x10000004"
# SystemUIServer[208] /SourceCache/Matador/Matador-121.36/SearchItem/Models/_MDQueryAdaptor.m -[_MDQueryAdaptor _createMDQuery] Can't execute query 'kMDItemContentTypeTree == com.apple.application && _kMDItemIgnore != *
# diskarbitrationd[45]: mds [185]:14907 not responding
any feedback or tips greatly appreciated b/c I cannot figure out what's happened (I have archived reinstalled system twice & spotlight always breaks)--thanks for taking the time to read and help if you can!
+152
+1
When I switch to using Chinese input, launchbar doesn't seem to respond with any keystroke.
Only English is working on mine.
+6
FrankNg rated on 10 May 2012
mjbraganza rated on 10 May 2012
-1
Peetman0815 rated on 10 May 2012
+81
Weaselboy rated on 17 Apr 2012
Daniel Borus rated on 20 Mar 2012
+10
Megavolt17 rated on 12 Feb 2012
+5
Elmer rated on 22 Jan 2012
+232
F451 rated on 09 Jan 2012
theperry rated on 08 Jan 2012
nekomamma rated on 25 Nov 2011