AppleInsider › Forums › Software › Mac Software › How Efficient Are You?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

How Efficient Are You?

post #1 of 16
5/22/06 at 7:00am
Thread Starter 
Well, after googling and finding a bunch of tips on how to be more effecient on OS X, such as good use of Smartfolders, Spotlight comments, and general metadata, I decided to see what real people actually do in their own user experiences. I'm always interested in finding better ways to do common tasks. And adjusting my usage style to match.

So what are some ways you have made better use of the OS? Have you found a good way to sort and organize your photos in iPhoto? made your own scripts in Automator? Or just found a better overall way of doing things? Let's hear your stories!
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 16
5/22/06 at 7:42am
I'm efficient at kicking ass with Captain Falcon, Link, and Zeld.....err nevermind. I find Spring Loaded Folders to be VERY efficient. SO glad they re-added them. Now they just need to implement them in the Dock.
"Overpopulation and climate change are serious shit." Gilsch
"I was really curious how they had managed such fine granularity of alienation." addabox
Reply
"Overpopulation and climate change are serious shit." Gilsch
"I was really curious how they had managed such fine granularity of alienation." addabox
Reply
post #3 of 16
5/22/06 at 1:24pm
Expose is one of my favourite tools of all. I wish they'd make a tabbed finder though.

I use labels quite a lot now even though I never did under OS 9.

I also use the finder icon preview for sorting out my images. I like the idea of something I saw in Windows though where it shows a bigger view of the image in a space above the icon previews. I don't really like having to open the images all the time - it wastes my mouse.

Most of the time, I just keep my directories in a logical structure. I actually use spotlight less than the old search.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 16
5/22/06 at 5:41pm
-add saft to safari. (shiia is also quite nice)

-iphotobrowser automator script kicks ass (see www.macosxhints.com)

-use the provided folder structure.. this mainly means actually using the documents folder.

-use metadata!
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 16
5/22/06 at 5:44pm
I never use expose. A long time ago I got into the habit of hiding apps I wasn't using at the moment. Hiding+Dock is pretty effective.
Cat: the other white meat
Reply
Cat: the other white meat
Reply
post #6 of 16
5/22/06 at 6:03pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Splinemodel
I never use expose. A long time ago I got into the habit of hiding apps I wasn't using at the moment. Hiding+Dock is pretty effective.

yep I use this too.. option+cmd click on a dock icon is nice.

one thing I forgot to mention is that the floating itunes controller is great as it requires no app switching to use, ditto for vlc player with the floating window option turned on.

cmd clicking through applications is handy as well
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 16
5/22/06 at 6:07pm
lots of keyboard shortcuts and exposé keep me fast. i don't feel fast until someone is looking over my shoulder while i do something and they can't follow. i'm looking to get a second 20" display. supposedly adding another disply to your system (i do video editing) makes you about 50% more productive.
Tsunami Steve
Program Feed
Reply
Tsunami Steve
Program Feed
Reply
post #8 of 16
5/22/06 at 6:46pm
After finding this site.

Not at all!

Reply
Reply
post #9 of 16
5/22/06 at 7:52pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Archstudent
yep I use this too.. option+cmd click on a dock icon is nice.

one thing I forgot to mention is that the floating itunes controller is great as it requires no app switching to use, ditto for vlc player with the floating window option turned on.

cmd clicking through applications is handy as well

Bless you Arch! I did the option+cmd thing once and I was like, "Hmm, this is usefull...but what did I do?" Cmd+option, I'll never forget it now.

While I do use Expose alot, I normally just stick to the cmd+tab menu, and pressing q or h to quit and hide the selected app respectively.

Also, what is spring loaded folders, and how do I use it?
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 16
5/22/06 at 10:11pm
I do the hide thing too when switching apps. I know I am probably in the minority here, but I wouldn't mind all apps being full screen (capable) apps. Why do I want to see my desktop when I am working in Word or Photoshop, it is distracting and can screw with your sense of colors in design. I love the full screen editing in iPhoto, and that is the kind of experience I am talking about.

One caveat though, I would like to see the dock still accessible some how.
"I'm learning how to meditate, so far so good."
Donald Fagen and Walter Becker
Reply
"I'm learning how to meditate, so far so good."
Donald Fagen and Walter Becker
Reply
post #11 of 16
5/23/06 at 8:23am
Quote:
Originally posted by blue2kdave
I do the hide thing too when switching apps. I know I am probably in the minority here, but I wouldn't mind all apps being full screen (capable) apps.

Yep, minority.

The behavior of windows apps to take over the entire screen is one of the things that almost makes me go cuckoo.
Cat: the other white meat
Reply
Cat: the other white meat
Reply
post #12 of 16
5/23/06 at 12:24pm
I Looooove Expose. It is a perfect companion to spring loaded folders. I also love how Spotlight is fast enough to be an app launcher.

john outwater, Spring Loaded Folders is great. You may have to turn it on. Go to Preferences...in Finder (in the Finder menu on the left.) Then adjust the timing. What this concept is, is that you can drag a folder on to another folder, and if you hold the mouse, it opens. You can burrow down subdirectories infinitely. It's AWESOME, try it!
"Overpopulation and climate change are serious shit." Gilsch
"I was really curious how they had managed such fine granularity of alienation." addabox
Reply
"Overpopulation and climate change are serious shit." Gilsch
"I was really curious how they had managed such fine granularity of alienation." addabox
Reply
post #13 of 16
5/23/06 at 1:46pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Aquatic
I Looooove Expose. It is a perfect companion to spring loaded folders. I also love how Spotlight is fast enough to be an app launcher.

john outwater, Spring Loaded Folders is great. You may have to turn it on. Go to Preferences...in Finder (in the Finder menu on the left.) Then adjust the timing. What this concept is, is that you can drag a folder on to another folder, and if you hold the mouse, it opens. You can burrow down subdirectories infinitely. It's AWESOME, try it!

Oh, that's what is. I had been using it for a while, but now I know how to adjust the speed. It's alot better when the delay is shorter.

And about Spotlight, I used to use it launch apps. I like the you just hold the cmd key and it goes to the first choice, but I prefer the speed of Quicksilver.
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 16
5/23/06 at 2:35pm
Ooh I didn't know that trick about command key. That's what I freakin LOVE about this place!! You learn such powerful tricks, especially keyboard shortcuts. Great thread let's keep it up! It's like the Finder Hints in the Help menu back in System 7...back in the day...
"Overpopulation and climate change are serious shit." Gilsch
"I was really curious how they had managed such fine granularity of alienation." addabox
Reply
"Overpopulation and climate change are serious shit." Gilsch
"I was really curious how they had managed such fine granularity of alienation." addabox
Reply
post #15 of 16
5/23/06 at 8:39pm
Expose+Quicksilver=uber.
"Humankind -- despite its artistic pretensions, its sophistication, and its many accomplishments -- owes its existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains."
Reply
"Humankind -- despite its artistic pretensions, its sophistication, and its many accomplishments -- owes its existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains."
Reply
post #16 of 16
5/24/06 at 4:57pm
Spotlight is awesome... I find that I use it a ton more now that I stumbled upon apple+space to bring up a quick search and option+apple+space to bring up the full spotlight window.

love apple+q, apple+w, apple+shift+h, apple+shift+a, apple+shift+u in finder... use them everyday.

apple+option+8 and then apple+ - and + for zooming in and out, use that a lot too.

once upon a time I thought windows was cool... I cannot stand using windows now.
Miles
Reply
Miles
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Mac Software
AppleInsider › Forums › Software › Mac Software › How Efficient Are You?