can i use keyboard shortcut2 launch an application?

R

roninsmurf

Registered
i'm osx 10.4.4 g4 15"

i wanna launch applications just by pressing a function key. used to do this with system 9

mac help seems to imply i can't
>>>
Note: You can create keyboard shortcuts only for existing menu commands. You cannot define keyboard shortcuts for general purpose tasks such as opening an application or switching between applications.
<<<

am i slow, or is this saying i can't "quick launch" an app with a press of one button? is this really true??? how silly. is there no "one touch" way to launch stuff?? (and not on startup - i've got that figured out...)
 
after more research, it does seem like i can't just do it within apple's system --
do i really need to download an app like Butler or HotApp? seems silly to have to pay for asuch a basicbasic system function.
anyone hacve advice on "launchers"? is there something i'm not seeing within Tiger?
 
I couldn't agree with you more. This is one of the pains of the Mac OS. An overwelming propensity to use the that #@$#@ mouse. Its like Steveo has embraced the mouse in a torrid love affair and refuses to let the keyboard have any responsibility. This permeates all Apple apps. Its utterly retarded. Hopefully their folly will become clear in upcoming revisions. And just to make matters worse, the Apple mouse has got to be the most simplistic and feature deprived piece of hardware ever. Thank goodness the OS is great - in general.
 
Another aggravation is that you can't activate anything in the Menu bar by a keyboard shortcut. Alt+V is view in windows. And Alt+F is File so you can piggyback one command with others. But with OSX you have to use the mouse to click the File menu - THEN you can go up and down with the arrow keys. What drugs are these designers on? Its so painfully tediously engineered. Mice suck. Anybody who says they can be productive with a mouse can't type. Period. Or is brain dead and can't remember keyboard shortcuts. Mouse functions are nothing more than a crutch to help us UNTIL we remember the keyboard shortcuts. A typical keyboard shortcut takes less than a second. NO ONE can activate a menu function in less than a second with a mouse. Now multiply that problem hundreds of times a day and you see why this is an important thing they have missed.

Apple: FIRST function. SECOND: prettiness.

Honestly, sometimes they seem so gay.

Not that there's anything wrong with that..........lol....:)
 
RobinS said:
Another aggravation is that you can't activate anything in the Menu bar by a keyboard shortcut. Alt+V is view in windows. And Alt+F is File so you can piggyback one command with others. But with OSX you have to use the mouse to click the File menu - THEN you can go up and down with the arrow keys.
Click to expand...

As a Mac user trying to use Windows keyboard shortcuts on a PC sometimes, i found the "piggy-backing" feature to be very irritating. Why press two function keys for one keyboard shortcut? That is why press Alt-F for the file menu and then press Alt-O to open something? On a Mac, just type Apple-O and it brings up the open dialog box. Simple, easy. Just remember the keyboard shortcuts.

Also, I regularly navigate Finder windows by using the arrow keys instead of the mouse. Use Apple-O to open a folder, use Apple-W to close one. Hold down shift while pressing the arrow keys to select Multiple items. Use Apple-c to copy a file(s) to the clipboard. Use Apple-V to paste.
 
Here's somethin to look at:

Sputnik 0.3 (free ware)

from the product description:
Sputnik is a small application that allows you to perform a few tasks with only a few keystrokes. These tasks include launching applications, controlling iTunes, searching for addresses, performing calculations and performing searches using your favorite search engines.

EDIT: Here's another one that may help: Spark 2.1.1
 
RobinS said:
Another aggravation is that you can't activate anything in the Menu bar by a keyboard shortcut.
Click to expand...
If you look under "Keyboard & Mouse" in the System Preferences, then under "Keyboard Shortcuts", you would see exactly what you're looking for.

On my system, accessing the menubar via keyboard combo is ^F2 (and is easily redefinable). Then, it's a matter of arrow-keying your way around.

There are also many, many other redefinable keyboard combos in that same area, for example, accessing the Dock, accessing a floating window, accessing the window drawer, etc.

Also, a simple search on macupdate.com or versiontracker.com revealed more than a handful of applications that claim to launch applications with a keystroke or keyboard combo.

Assign your favorite key combos and away you go. Now, what were you all complaining about again? ;)
 
ElDiablo is absa-freakin-lutely right... I've found that *Ahem* Quicksilver is my product of choice. (It allows you to do just about any function with your keyboard, and it's upgradable using plugins from various distributors)

http://quicksilver.blacktree.com/
 
MrNivit1 said:
As a Mac user trying to use Windows keyboard shortcuts on a PC sometimes, i found the "piggy-backing" feature to be very irritating. Why press two function keys for one keyboard shortcut? That is why press Alt-F for the file menu and then press Alt-O to open something? On a Mac, just type Apple-O and it brings up the open dialog box. Simple, easy. Just remember the keyboard shortcuts.
----------------
Sure there is a keyboard shortcut for a few things.
How about changing the View settings? Got a shortcut for that?
There are countless others. Some have been bestowed a keyboard shortcut but many others have not. Or they are not mentioned on the view menu. I'm using Opera and switch between Full screen and normal all the time. Option+F11 does that but do you think that is on the View menu? NO! Its a secret. Why do they do that? Perhaps because its a user configurable shortcut? Why can't they just get the shortcut to change on the View menu as its being changed in the Preferences?

But the original query was to use a kb shortcut to start a program like you can with Windows and the Start button. The Start button is a very good idea. Its a shame Apple doesn't copy it. In less than a second one can start many, many programs. In OS X you have to climb through that idiotic Finder (you know the one which can't remember a Column Width) to start anything. Unless you want to use that painfully irritating Dock. You know, the thing that pops up and has absolutely no function.

Also, I regularly navigate Finder windows by using the arrow keys instead of the mouse. Use Apple-O to open a folder, use Apple-W to close one. Hold down shift while pressing the arrow keys to select Multiple items. Use Apple-c to copy a file(s) to the clipboard. Use Apple-V to paste.
Click to expand...

I think most people with a double digit IQ learned those "tricks" after the first hour. Honestly, you people..........we know those shortcuts. EVERYBODY knows those shortcuts.
 
MrNivit1 said:
As a Mac user trying to use Windows keyboard shortcuts on a PC sometimes, i found the "piggy-backing" feature to be very irritating. Why press two function keys for one keyboard shortcut? That is why press Alt-F for the file menu and then press Alt-O to open something? On a Mac, just type Apple-O and it brings up the open dialog box. Simple, easy. Just remember the keyboard shortcuts.
----------------
Sure there is a keyboard shortcut for a few things.
How about changing the View settings? Got a shortcut for that?
There are countless others. Some have been bestowed a keyboard shortcut but many others have not. Or they are not mentioned on the view menu. I'm using Opera and switch between Full screen and normal all the time. Option+F11 does that but do you think that is on the View menu? NO! Its a secret. Why do they do that? Perhaps because its a user configurable shortcut? Why can't they just get the shortcut to change on the View menu as its being changed in the Preferences?

But the original query was to use a kb shortcut to start a program like you can with Windows and the Start button. The Start button is a very good idea. Its a shame Apple doesn't copy it. In less than a second one can start many, many programs. In OS X you have to climb through that idiotic Finder (you know the one which can't remember a Column Width) to start anything. Unless you want to use that painfully irritating Dock. You know, the thing that pops up and has absolutely no function.
--------------------------
Also, I regularly navigate Finder windows by using the arrow keys instead of the mouse. Use Apple-O to open a folder, use Apple-W to close one. Hold down shift while pressing the arrow keys to select Multiple items. Use Apple-c to copy a file(s) to the clipboard. Use Apple-V to paste.
Click to expand...
-------------------------
I think most people with a double digit IQ learned those "tricks" after the first hour. Honestly, you people..........we know those shortcuts. EVERYBODY knows those shortcuts. The next thing will be the preference of top posting in email because "I don't wanna read all that stuff"......argh.......At least most of Usenet is coming around.
 
thanks to all.
version tracker gave me
Butler,
which i like. launches apps, etc.

i still think it'd be nice to have this as a part of OS
true, you can set some things to keystrokes from the System Prefs, but it actually says in MacHelp that you CANT launch an app. silly, methinks.
 
Welcome to the mouse worshipped world of OS X.
Every day I can picture Steve bowing down to a blown up image of his mouse.
"Oh holy mouse, I do now worship ye. Guide me in your paths and wisdom, I ask of ye, Amen."

The answer is to use 3rd party software. But first understand well all that IS offered in OS X native programs. I am always surprised at what I find when I really dig. Later I wonder why they didn't make it more obvious. You just have to dig and dig. I guess we all look at the same screen from a different angle and in a different light. It must be tough to be a designer trying to guess how the public will perceive and navigate.
 
Now if the original poster of this question, from 4 years ago is still looking for a solution, mmm!
 
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