Spotlight Google Search

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Level 1

25 points

Spotlight Google Search

I'm trying to find a way to do this...
Closest I got was some add on from apple > downloads but... it only works on Tiger.

... even then it should just be built into Spotlight. It "should" be.

iOS4 has it.. couldn't there be a simple patch that fixes this?

Macbook Pro 15", Mac OS X (10.6.4), I also use it to fry bacon.

Posted on Jul 13, 2010 10:19 AM

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Answer 1

baltwo

Level 9

62,386 points

Jul 13, 2010 11:47 AM in response to dubbdubb

What's the problem? What is this that you want to do? Your post is missing a lot of details. BTW, if your issue is with Safari, then post to the Safari for Mac forum.

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Answer 2

dubbdubb Author

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25 points

Jul 13, 2010 12:42 PM in response to baltwo

Question: How to I make Spotlight (in OSX 10.6.4) do a google (or default search engine) search?

ie: iOS4's spotlight feature includes web search and wikipedia

Edit:
"this" refers to the subject.
The subject, in this case, is literally this post's subject 😉

Subject: Spotlight Google Search
Question or Body: How do I do this?

Message was edited by: dubbdubb

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Answer 3

baltwo

Level 9

62,386 points

Jul 13, 2010 1:02 PM in response to dubbdubb

Well, in Safari, the window has a Spotlight search window in the upper right-hand corner, with Google as the default setting. Maybe you mucked up the toolbar. Safari->View-Customize Toolbar->select the default toolbar or add the spotlight search window to the toolbar. Then, select Google from the drop down listing.

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Answer 4

dubbdubb Author

Level 1

25 points

Jul 13, 2010 1:34 PM in response to baltwo

Seniõr,
I'm trying to get -Spotlight- to do google searches on OSX like it does on iOS4. It's not a Safari thing =)

Spotlight is the thingy in the top right on the menu bar that looks like a magnifying glass. I want to be able to hit cmd+space type in my search and have one of the results be search the web. That way the default browser opens with the default search engine. ...maybe have a wikipedia option like iOS4 just for fun.

I hope I'm making sense and this isn't just a bunch of crazy talk.

Thanks!! =]

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Answer 5

baltwo

Level 9

62,386 points

Jul 13, 2010 2:41 PM in response to dubbdubb

Thanks for clarifying. I have no idea how one mimics iOS4 stuff in OS X. I don't have one of those, so I can't help. Peruse the iPhone forum or the iPhone developer forum at http://developer.apple.com/programs/iphone/develop.html

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Answer 6

Jul 13, 2010 3:03 PM in response to baltwo

Wow ... I'm only confused bc the the original poster has is so clear and yet it's not understood. This forum is NOT about the iPhone, iPad, or iPod. It uses IOS 4 as a reference. I too, would like to know how/if at all to do this on OSX 10.6.4. ("this" simply equals, How can you incorporate google/wikipedia into a MAC spotlight, like IOS4 does in there "spotlight" search?)

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Answer 7

baltwo

Level 9

62,386 points

Jul 13, 2010 3:15 PM in response to Adidas1883

And, what part of iOS4 isn't covered by the iPhone forums? It's a different animal than OS X and since I don't have one of those mobile thingys, how is my response to the OP unclear?

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Answer 8

dubbdubb Author

Level 1

25 points

Jul 13, 2010 3:25 PM in response to baltwo

Baltwo,

Are you saying that because you don't have an iOS4 device that using that as an example doesn't help you help me because you don't know what I'm referencing?

That makes sense.

So iOS4 aside, is there a way to get my Snow Leopard Spotlight searchbar to do web searches?

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Answer 9

Jul 13, 2010 3:30 PM in response to dubbdubb

Exactly ... As I said, it's has nothing to do with a mobile IOS 4. It was simply a reference. Well, I understood you dubb. I guess the original question still stands ... Cause I'd like my iMac to do that too.

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Answer 10

baltwo

Level 9

62,386 points

Jul 13, 2010 3:32 PM in response to dubbdubb

Yes, that's what I'm implying. Since I have Safari running, why would I want Spotlight to do searches on the web? AFAIK, it offers no benefits over Google's, Yahoo's, or Bing's search, especially since Spotlight can't index webpages and provide metadata returns.

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Answer 11

baltwo

Level 9

62,386 points

Jul 13, 2010 3:44 PM in response to Adidas1883

It does via Safari.

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Answer 12

dubbdubb Author

Level 1

25 points

Jul 13, 2010 4:07 PM in response to baltwo

I'm not sure why -you- would use it if you already had Safari open.

I know why I would though =)
I'd like to be able to cmd+space, type my search, and click this "search the web" button I'm looking for which would then open a new window (or if preferred, a new tab) with the search results.

Since I've had my Mac I've written an app that opens a prompt, you type in your query, click okay, then a second prompt asks what kind of search you'd like to do. Like web, image, video, or news search (web being the default.) It then takes that string and opens safari using that thread as part of the URL.

This as been... ok for me so far but there is still no real keyboard shortcut that runs this app. That.. and it's not nearly as fast to open as Spotlight is.

My thought, then, is how can I make a keyboard shortcut do a google search. Well... why doesn't spotlight do that? It searches your email for Pete's sake.... It can't handle a basic web search?

Or can it? O.o

That leads me to here. The discussion board for all things OSX 10.6.4!

And so ends my journey. Curious and alone. Lost in a world of hopelessness and tears!

No solution thus far.

Sad... sad sad day.

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Answer 13

Jul 13, 2010 4:11 PM in response to baltwo

I know this. I more interested in when I'm not in safari and have no programs open. I'm searching the Mac and find out it's not on my computer. It'd be nice to move right into google or wiki. I know it would open safari if I did decide to click the google opition. That's all we're asking.

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Answer 14

baltwo

Level 9

62,386 points

Jul 13, 2010 4:32 PM in response to Adidas1883

To all. Thanks for the clarifications. I'm always in Safari, so it's not something I'd be interested in. As I previously noted, I'd be searching the iPhone dev group for that functionality, but don't expect to see it in Mac OS X anytime soon, but who knows, Jobs likes the mobile toy stuff.

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Answer 15

red_menace

Level 6

17,072 points

Jul 13, 2010 8:00 PM in response to dubbdubb

I think there is a misunderstanding here (or at least the usage of the wrong terms). Spotlight is a tool to search a metadata database (indexed by a metadata server) to get various information about items in the file system - it doesn't have anything to do with the internet. There may be a crossover shortcut in iOS4 (haven't seen it) since it is run on a different kind of device, but any searches on the web are not Spotlight per se, but rather a handoff to something else (such as a regular Google search).

The normal way to do a Google search on a lap/desktop is through the web browser of your choice, since the screen real estate isn't as expensive as it is on a mobile device. Snow Leopard does include a contextual menu shortcut to search for the selected item using either Spotlight or Google (or the dictionary).

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