Switcher Tip: mini Start menu

Here is a quick trick to get easy access to your Mac applications without having to open the Applications' folder every time.

• Open your Macintosh HD

• Take your Applications folder and drag it to the Dock next to the trash can and the faint dividing line. If you did it right, the Applications icon is now in the Dock.

• Control-Click the Application icon in the dock and you get a list of all of your applications - a little bit like a Start menu.

Comments

[Andrew Burke]

You might like to try Butler:
http://andrewsmactips.cjb.cc/butler.htm
Drag the Applications folder onto Butler to assign any key or key combination to call up the Applications list (I use the * key on the numeric keypad).

You can even asign a hot corner...

[Cris]

Thanks! I have been meaning to give it a try since I saw in your blog! Great blog site by the way!

[Joe]

Since you're clearly a computer power user, please, please give QuickSilver a try:
http://quicksilver.blacktree.com/

It's very similar to Butler and LaunchBar in some respects, but it's free and amazingly powerful. If you want it to be, it's "merely" a beautiful application launcher. (I highly recommend the Bezel plugin, by the way. Gorgeous.) But if you want it to be, you can also navigate web links, go through your iTunes library, append text to files, and much, much more.

It's very powerful and is rightfully taking the OS X community by storm right now. Be sure to grab the Tiger version. It might take you a bit of time to get used to it, but the time will be very well-spent.

And for when you go back to Windows, you might enjoy AppRocket (http://www.candylabs.com/approcket/), which is an application similar to LaunchBar, from which QuickSilver clearly was inspired.

Thanks for the great blog!

[Cris]

Thanks Joe -- Quicksilver has been on my list of things to try. Just haven't had the time yet.

hadn't heard of AppRocket, maybe something to try in the office computer :-)