Hands up who actually uses Stacks in Leopard. It is one of the features that I keep trying to find a use for as the theory of keeping less in the dock is appealing, but it is just so ugly and difficult to use ……..
I am a huge fan of Overflow and it sits in the middle of my dock neatly set up with folders for Audio, Photos, Video, Tools, Writing, Microsoft etc so I only have to have the apps that I open most days sat in the dock. Keeps the dock nice and tidy, and is really easy to set up and use.
When I was setting up the MBP I tried Stacks again, but just can’t get to grips with it. As I said I think the way it stacks the applications looks ugly and several times having dragged a folder down and added the applications, when I removed the folder I Iost the applications – frustrating to say the least.
So what you reckon? My initial thought when I was looking at 10.5 during beta was that it was a good concept that needed more work, and that is still how I feel. I would like to use it but just can’t see that it adds any value? Am I missing something here? Do you use it?
On the plus side though it gave me the idea for this photograph – my own personal stack: my MBP, Sands MB, my iPhone, Sands iPod Nano.
Awesome photo! I have been using stacks since day 1 for downloads as I keep this relatively empty.
I used overflow a lot on my tiger build, but haven’t put it back on leopard – however should do really. I keep the apps folder on the dock set as a grid but as the number of apps installed has grown it has become unmanageable. I liked the ability in Overflow to group apps under ‘workflows’ if you like eg: web design, communication, work, etc.
One nice feature I have added to my stacks/grids is transparent icons which stick due to a little terminal ‘foo’. There is a good article and links available if you’re interested.
Cheers – was good to get the dust of the camera!!!
I use stacks for Documents and Downloads, but more because they were already there to be honest. I have a tendency to forget that Documents one!!
Thanks for that link – that would make them look a lot better 🙂
Really cool photo. Love the contrast and the composition. Great job Chris! As for the stacks…. with the latest 10.5.2 update I was finally able to use them as folders again. So stacks are gone. Meaning that I wasn’t too thrilled about using them. I think the idea just missed the point. It was cool eye candy for about 10 sec, but after that it was useless.
Cheers 🙂
Hi Chris, thanks for the Overflow mention, I’m glad you still find it useful in Leopard!
Dan Messing
Stunt Software
http://stuntsoftware.com/
[quote comment=””]Hi Chris, thanks for the Overflow mention, I’m glad you still find it useful in Leopard!
Dan Messing
Stunt Software
http://stuntsoftware.com/%5B/quote%5D
You are welcome – is an app that I love 🙂
Fantastic photo! Very nicely done. As for stacks, the only one I use is grid in application folder. I used to use Overflow, which I really did like, but I never paid for the latest upgrade, then never installed on Leopard. Maybe I’ll try it again because my app folder is also getting huge despite my trying to keep it small. Anyone have an extra copy of the latest? 🙂
I also tried Trampoline, which I also liked, believe it or not. But as far as the fan mode of stacks, all I can say is, what were they thinking??
Now one bad thing about the iPod Touch is that when you are writing like this, it’s next to impossible to refer to the original article!
Hmm… I guess I’m the only one that actually uses the new Spotlight to launch programs. I find it so much more efficient, then navigating with the mouse. Too bad Quicksilver has gone….
@Wayne – thanks, apreciated
@Mac – you are not a big mouse fan are you!!
Now I am wondering how many apps we are talking about here. I need to do a tidy up of my dock(s) but at the moment the MBP has 22 including Overflow in it. I will count the MP when I get out of bed 🙂
I don’t use stacks either. I like the downloads folder but I open it in a finder window. I’d like to be able to put my Apps folder in the dock but it won’t go there. I prefer the functionality of the Tiger dock.
Nice photo Chris 🙂
Cool, is not just me then that doesn’t rate stacks at all 🙂
Have had a play around with .mac preferences today, syncing the Dock – pretty cool 🙂
Have also tried Mac Spotlight method, and have to say it is pretty easy and effective.
Thanks for the tip
And of course if you use something like Text Expander to make ,ps = Photoshop that makes spotlight method even quicker 🙂
[quote comment=”45035″] Too bad Quicksilver has gone….[/quote]
It’s still around isn’t it? I’m using it on Leopard at the mo…
Or am I missing something?
Quicksilver
@Dunks
> It’s still around isn’t it? I’m using it on Leopard at the mo…
It may well work, but has apparently not been specifically upgraded for Leopard (yet). There are probably areas which break in 10.5, but perhaps you don’t venture into those areas.
I finally began using Quicksilver around the middle of last year though, being a bear of little brain, I ended up using it just as a fancy application launcher – and I was pretty happy with it for that. However, when I went up to Leopard and read that QS was still not yet “certified” for 10.5, I decided to give Peter Maurer’s Butler a go. It too has depths beyond mere application launching, but I’m happy with it for that for now.
So I’m kinda like Mac, using his Spotlight to launch most applications, except I’m using Butler. I’ve got ten core apps in the Dock. Pretty much everything else is launched with a flick of the fingers. And, though I’ve got it, I don’t need to use TextExpander to generate the app name for Spotlight – Butler will work off the first few significant letters you type.
To use Chris’s example, if I think “I want to use Photoshop”, I do the following: instead of using [cmd]-space to invoke Spotlight, I use [ctrl]-space to invoke Butler. I then simply type “pho” and not the slightly more contrived TextExpander shortcut. 🙂
I had too many problems with quicksilver under leopard. Either the plugins would not load, or it would constantly crash. It’s too bad, because this was one of the best apps for mac ever. The sheer power of it was staggering. With few keystrokes I could look up someone in the address book, send an email and add an appoitment with that person to ical. Maybe because it was free, it just got left in the dust when leopard was released. Sad day.
> The sheer power of it was staggering.
I’d go as far as to say that the sheer power of it was overwhelming. (Maybe I’m just getting old?)
The author of QS joined Google as a developer. I recall watching a Tech Talk he did to his colleagues last year. It showed that he was both a smart guy and an uncomfortable public speaker.
I wonder if the explanation for the apparent lack of development might not be one of the two following possibilities, rather than Mac’s suggestion? (1) Simple pressure of work has prevented him spending the time required. (2) Google have bought title to his work and will be releasing it in some form – once it’s ready.
@Gary, but I chose ,ps by choice as I have all my TE shortcuts start with a , It could just as easily be ph 🙂
I guess what I am liking in my extensive use of Spotlight ( 3 hours and counting) is that the use for launching applications is just ‘another’ use of something i already use.
Am on a BIG slimming down drive at the moment – both my own weight and the way I use the Mac’s 🙂
Last I heard was the quicksilver code was given away to public domain. I could be wrong though.
Pingback: Couple of Videos | Chris Marshall