Launchbar chrome android#

learning these shortcuts will take too much time, there are too many to remember, etc), will benefit greatly by using an application like Launchbar. Users willing to get beyond their fears (e.g. Keyboards are the utility devices, that can be wielded with tremendous power for those willing to take the time and effort to learn all the short cuts and develop their typing coordination. Touch screens are imperative in mobile device environments.

Mice are extremely good for spatial tasks. Keyboards, mice, and touch screens have the same strengths and weaknesses depending on the task and context. While they could put in nails with a screwdriver, a hammer is obviously more effective.

With Launchbar, I can start over after a mistake and still be done in less than 2 seconds.Ī carpenter builds things using a wide array of tools, each suited for very specific needs. And that was going as fast as I could while being hyper focused, trying to make sure my mouse clicks were just perfect each time. What were my times? 13 seconds, 7 seconds, and 7 seconds. I (having an engineering degree and having competed as a collegiate athlete) went as far as timing myself 3 times with a totally clear desktop and screen. I'm not the fastest typer in the world, but I was able to perform the above in less than 0.5 seconds.Ĭompleting the same task with a mouse takes much longer. At the very high end, that would take 7 seconds to launch the Disk Utility application in the example above. Conservatively, let's assume the average typing speed of a computer user is 20 words per minute or about 60 to 80 keystrokes a minute. Net speed to perform each step plays a big part in the overall time to complete the desired task. No having to move the mouse over to navigate through folders. Total effort: 3 steps and 7 (or less) keystrokes. Opening the Disk Utility application with Launchbar: type command+space to get the launchbar window to appear, type 'disk' and the Disk Utility application should already be highlighted, hit enter. Plus, there is now a finder window open that will have to be closed or moved away after your done with disc utility. Depending on how nitpicky you are on what is a step or an action, I count approximately 7 steps. Opening the Disk Utility application with your mouse: You can move your mouse over to the applications folder in the dock, click, watch the big drawer open up, click the 'open in finder' button, watch the finder open, scroll down to the utilities folder, and double click the icon. Without it, I'm half as fast and a tenth as happy. Launchbar is the most important application on my mac. This is much faster than 'doing it by hand' with a mouse or a touch screen, once you get the hang of it. This application turns a keyboard from a simple text input device to a mission control center, where you can find, open, move, append, and virtually do anything in a few keystrokes and a few seconds. I claim that anyone who thinks this has not discovered Launchbar. One might go as far as saying that the keyboard, extremely large and complex by comparison, may be losing its relevancy and its position as the workhorse input device in modern day computing. Yes, touch screens and computer mice are extremely useful in helping us intuitively navigate our beautiful, modern-day operating systems and devices. Yes, universal keyboard access has been around for quite some time, but the keyboard combinations to achieve them are not as intuitive as simply moving a little cursor over and icon and opening 'that one.' Dragging, moving, opening, etc: I bet most users could not achieve these tasks without a mouse. Like a touch screen, they give us this sense of spatial control and manipulation. And in a world of increasing technical complexity (remember when cell phones could do nothing but make a phone call?), this return to finger-painting like simplicity is a welcome reprieve to many who say 'I just want to do X' without reading a 200 page pdf.Ĭomputer mice are also critical components of the modern day PCs and Macs. But it creates the illusion, at least for me, that I can actually reach in and touch, grab, and otherwise manipulate my data. Yes, the screens are technically a glass barrier that we cannot penetrate. I admit that I get a great deal of satisfaction using the multi-touch pinch movements to either zoom in or zoom out of a picture or an application window.

Launchbar chrome android#

Touch screen devices are all the rage: iphones, iPads, android tablets, etc.