Does anyone use Launchpad?

I have used Lion for a few months now (Yes months, I am a developer) and I was wondering if anyone acutally uses Launchpad. I thought it would be cool at first, but it is kind of a pain in my opinion. I use a launcher to open applications fast (Alfred). The gesture is too complicated to open Launchpad, and it is hard to preform on the MacBook Pro trackpad. Does anyone have different thoughts? Anyone use it? Let me know.

MacBook Pro 13in Mid 2009, Mac OS X (10.7), Unibody

Posted on Jul 27, 2011 9:35 PM

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41 replies

Jul 27, 2011 9:40 PM in response to Cole Bergmann

arstechnica has a nice overview of LaunchPad, but most interesting at the very end of the article there perspective


" I'm not sure there's any reason for an expert user to use Launchpad instead of their current favorite alternative. But unlike, say, the Dock, Launchpad is easily ignored. Turn off the gesture, deactivate the hot corner, and remove the icon from the Dock and you'll never have to see it.


For everyone else, however, Launchpad will provide a huge improvement in usability. Even expert users should be excited about its arrival because it should make telephone or e-mail-based family technical support a bit easier."


http://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews/2011/07/mac-os-x-10-7.ars/6#application-man agement

Jul 27, 2011 9:45 PM in response to leroydouglas

I'm not sure there's any reason for an expert user to use Launchpad instead of their current favorite alternative. But unlike, say, the Dock, Launchpad is easily ignored. Turn off the gesture, deactivate the hot corner, and remove the icon from the Dock and you'll never have to see it.


My sentiments exactly.


I ignore it. Why use several clicks when I can launch whatever I need with one click from the dock..... aside from the fact that 5 pages of 2" high icons aren't all that attractive on a 27" screen.

Jul 27, 2011 9:48 PM in response to leroydouglas

"For everyone else, however, Launchpad will provide a huge improvement in usability. Even expert users should be excited about its arrival because it should make telephone or e-mail-based family technical support a bit easier."

I think that review is probably the best one out there to date, but John lost me there. My eyes glazed over trying to figure out how Launchpad would make tech support easier.

Jul 27, 2011 10:03 PM in response to coocooforcocoapuffs

coocooforcocoapuffs wrote:


"For everyone else, however, Launchpad will provide a huge improvement in usability. Even expert users should be excited about its arrival because it should make telephone or e-mail-based family technical support a bit easier."

I think that review is probably the best one out there to date, but John lost me there. My eyes glazed over trying to figure out how Launchpad would make tech support easier.

Because this was the usual phone support:


OK Auntie, now click on the Finder icon, yes that's the blue happy face thing. OK, is there a window open? On the left hand pane you'll see an icon for Applications - no, Auntie you don't have to tell me everything you're seeing on the right… Now scroll down until you see iPhoto and click on it. Yes, that is just a picture of a camera and a sunset on the right now, what I need you to do is...

Jul 27, 2011 10:14 PM in response to Atomic Al

Atomic Al wrote:


Because this was the usual phone support:


OK Auntie, now click on the Finder icon, yes that's the blue happy face thing. OK, is there a window open? On the left hand pane you'll see an icon for Applications - no, Auntie you don't have to tell me everything you're seeing on the right… Now scroll down until you see iPhoto and click on it. Yes, that is just a picture of a camera and a sunset on the right now, what I need you to do is...



"Auntie" gets a Deep Freeze and a simple instruction to reboot the machine if there is anything wrong.


Every six months I add some new toy and update, then Freeze it again.


Never had a problem. Well the cat pulled a cable once...froze the cat. 😉

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