[Le Flaneur]

I'd like to hear from people who use both LaunchBar 4.0b1 and DragThing 5.1:how are you using them together?

[smeger]

I use DragThing to provide a very small, icon-only dock showing my running apps. Everything else is LaunchBar.

[Le Flaneur]

Originally posted by smeger:
I use DragThing to provide a very small, icon-only dock showing my running apps. Everything else is LaunchBar.

But what do you do about the ability that apps have of notifying the dock that something is up, or of posting a number (NetNewsWire Lite shows the number of new articles, and iCal's icon shows the date...)? I would sort of miss that.

[Judge_Fire]

I use:

LaunchBar:
- to launch apps
- as a drag&drop target to open files in spesific apps- to bring up often used project folders
In all cases: faster and nicer than Finder/Dock, by far.

DragThing:
- as a list of all my topical folders hidden at the left edge of my screen. I then use the contextual menu to browse subfolders and images quickly. Faster and nicer than Finder/Dock, by far.

Dock to:
- indicate currently running apps, in part due to the reasons mentioned above (icon notifications etc.)
- switch apps


I've been experimenting with QuickSilver lately, but it doesn't respond quick enough (?) and doesn't give me as concise results as LB. ButI'll keep at it for awhile - it's really nicely done and has promise.
J

[Le Flaneur]

Originally posted by Judge_Fire:
I use:

DragThing:
- as a list of all my topical folders hidden at the left edge of my screen. I then use the contextual menu to browse subfolders and images quickly. Faster and nicer than Finder/Dock, by far.

One thing that I like about DragThing's process menu is that it allows you to EXCLUDE apps. Very useful for utility-like apps such as LaunchBar, Spell Catcher, DragThing, and others that clutter up the Dock. After there were 10 or more icons in the Dock, it became progressively harder to pick an app.

[nforcer]

My work setup is basically, the Dock keeps my most frequently used apps (about 19 apps), and I use Launchbar to launch any apps that I need that are not in the dock, and to search websites (new LB 4 feature).

I tried to get into using Dragthing, but I just couldn't come up with a setup that saved time and requred less effort than using the Dock with dock separators.

[Le Flaneur]

Originally posted by nforcer:
I tried to get into using Dragthing, but I just couldn't come up with a setup that saved time and requred less effort than using the Dock with dock separators.

What do you mean by "dock separators"?

[absmiths]

Originally posted by Le Flaneur:
What do you mean by "dock separators"?

He is probably talking about the little apps or documents that have a vertical line as an icon. They can be placed in the dock like other apps, but they display as a line - a virtual separator. There may be another way, but that is what I remember.

[nforcer]

Originally posted by absmiths:
He is probably talking about the little apps or documents that have a vertical line as an icon. They can be placed in the dock like other apps, but they display as a line - a virtual separator. There may be another way, but that is what I remember.

This is what I am talking about. Sometimes called "Dock Dividers". I have apps grouped into categories much like how Dragthing users have tab groups, and the groups are separated by dock dividers. For example, I have Safari, Mail, NetNewsWire, and iChat as my internet apps group, then a dock separator, then iTunes, Preview, Quicktime, and VLC as my multimedia apps group then a dock separator... and so on for my most frequently used apps.

Betts recently posted some dock dividers, if you need a better idea of what I am talking about.

[threestain]

Anyone still use DragThing and LaunchBar together?

I love LaunchBar, but I keep fiddling with DragThing.

Is it worth it?

[bobhenr]

I use Quicksilver and DragThing together. Pretty much the same thing.

I use Quicksilver to launch programs I use often and remember the names of. I use DragThing to launch programs I seldom use (and hence don't always remember the names of), programs I'm trying out (and hence don't always remember the names of) and to launch obscure utilities (that, of course, I don't always remember the names of).

I have pop-up tabs catagorized by program type that I keep these more obscure programs in.

I also use DragThing as a project management tool, keeping a pop-up tab of project folders so I can easily find the parts and pieces of any given one. Obviously I have to organize them right in the first place but I usually do and this works well for me.

I don't rely on the Dock much. I usually switch apps using the command-tab key. If the mouse is in my hand and the dock is close, I'll use it to switch, but I don't keep any unused apps in it.

I'm almost 60 and my memory isn't the best in the world. This system works for me.

If I had a better memory or I wasn't addicted to finding and playing with little apps all the time, I would probably be able to rely on Quicksilver or Launchbar. But the way I use the computer, I find DragThing a valuable addition.

Its nice that there are so many options. I have one friend who just loves his menubar launch program (I don't remember what it is) and he has no idea why I value saving time and launching programs via Quicksilver in less than a second.

Others rely on the Dock or always use the Finder.

To each their own.

On my first Mac (a 512K) in order to change programs I had to quit what I as in, eject its floppy, insert the floppy for the next program, and launch it. (I mention this because Apple's 30th birthday is tomorrow, and it seems appropriate.)

Luckily for all of us, there is no way to make OS X that bad.

[CharlesS]

Same here - I use DragThing and QuickSilver.

In addition to less often-used things, I like to use DragThing for apps whose name is similar enough to another app's name that I would have to type a large number of characters to get it in QuickSilver. I also use DragThing for apps that I would like to drop a document on top of, since although that works in QuickSilver, it's very awkward compared to DragThing's slick implementation.

It's just great to have a tabbed dock with almost everything I use in it. IMO.

[Macanoid]

Originally Posted by Le Flaneur

One thing that I like about DragThing's process menu is that it allows you to EXCLUDE apps. Very useful for utility-like apps such as LaunchBar, Spell Catcher, DragThing, and others that clutter up the Dock. After there were 10 or more icons in the Dock, it became progressively harder to pick an app.

I suggest you have a look at this: Dockless Allows you to switch on\off apearance of icons in the dock. Very useful!

[threestain]

well having played with it for a while I've decided its of no real benefit to me so its being appzapped!

[tonyibook]

I have tried both of these programs, but I must admit I much prefer Drop Drawers. I have been running it now for years and find it reliable and fast.