Third-party app launchers?

[InspectorG]

I'm curious if any third-party app launchers ever existed for OS 9 - something similar to LaunchBar, Quicksilver, Alfred, etc. for OS X. Even Spotlight in OS X does a pretty good job at this task nowadays.

I realize that something as smart as these modern apps is unlikely, as they use modern filesystem events and indexing to find apps in any arbitrary location on your machine. A hypothetical OS 9 launcher app might require you to point it to a folder where you keep your other apps to restrict the search domain, or even add apps manually to a list that it maintains (which would be totally fine for the limitations one expects on an older system).

I would just really love to be able to very quickly launch my apps and games from the keyboard!

If not, I've been using Macs since 1996, but never wrote any code for OS 7-9 (only OS X since the early-2000s). I've been trying to think of a good pet project to sort of retroactively go back and apply my engineering skills as a hobby...

[Protools5LEGuy]

I realize that something as smart as these modern apps is unlikely, as they use modern filesystem events and indexing to find apps in any arbitrary location on your machine. A hypothetical OS 9 launcher app might require you to point it to a folder where you keep your other apps to restrict the search domain, or even add apps manually to a list that it maintains (which would be totally fine for the limitations one expects on an older system).

You can allow the system to index the drive and Sherlock 2 would find it, all in Mac OS9 with no 3rd parties involved. But we are mostly DAW users that try to use the most of the machine for that, and we used to unload the Index extension. You dont want the system to Index the drive while using the DAW.

I'm curious if any third-party app launchers ever existed for OS 9 - something similar to LaunchBar, Quicksilver, Alfred, etc. for OS X. Even Spotlight in OS X does a pretty good job at this task nowadays.

There are some. In the system is the Launcher from Apple.

http://www.cbtcafe.com/mactutorials/launcher/launcher.html
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1500396?start=0&tstart=0


But Our Instant DAW download has DragThing.

http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/dragthing-29


I recommend for OSX users new to Mac OS 9  aDock

http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/a-dock-301

[InspectorG]

As far as I know, none of those options allow me to hit a simple key combo (like command+space) and start typing the name of an app I'd like to launch. If they do, I would love to be enlightened on the subject.

[Protools5LEGuy]

As far as I know, none of those options allow me to hit a simple key combo (like command+space) and start typing the name of an app I'd like to launch. If they do, I would love to be enlightened on the subject.

True. The Alfred/Quicksilver/Spotlight magic that apps are showed just with 3 keystrokes isn`t present on any MacOS9 app AFAIK. But Sherlock 2 can be called using Apple+F IIRC, and the search should be instant on Indexed drives

[GaryN]

As far as I know, none of those options allow me to hit a simple key combo (like command+space) and start typing the name of an app I'd like to launch. If they do, I would love to be enlightened on the subject.

It sounds to me like what you're looking for is Quickeys.
You can assign "hot" keys, write mini-macros that will execute when you type stuff, or even fairly complex "if…then" logic decisions sort of like an Applescript.
Quickeys will launch an app exactly as you describe with no sweat. Get it here: http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/quickeys-353

[IIO]

i sometimes use the kdx catalog serach for that... searches in milliseconds and has string filtering.

but i also vaguely remeber a little app which does exactly what he was asking for... mabe i find back the name.

[mrhappy]

It sounds to me like what you're looking for is Quickeys.

Yeah back in my Mac Plus days I had all kind of fun 'Quickeys' macros, some for just launching programs and others that were fairly elaborate and it worked great! I've been meaning to fire it up on my 'new fangled' OS 9 systems ( ) but just haven't got around to it. If you haven't tried Quickeys yet give a shot!