[hostvisions]

Hi all,

I'm still relatively new to the Mac environment so please bear with me. I've read the great thread about OS X applications that you recommend and have downloaded several - thank you for your recommendations.

I was wondering what menu-bar applications you would recommend? I downloaded one for weather which is quite useful, and have seen one that puts a google search box on your menubar which I'd like to have but can't find. I'd also like something that shows network traffic (again, I've seen this on a screenshot but cannot find it anywhere).

What apps would you recommend?

[jerseyfreeze]

I use:

Desktop Manager (for managing multiple desktops)

DockBlock (to hide, disable or show the dock)

I'd use a weather app if I could find one that didn't show up blurry.

-Jason

[benign]

Another Launcher 3.2.1 : donationware

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/20035

Limited only by your imagination.



4.6 VersionTracker stars

[kovacs]

ShadowClipboard the best clipboard manager on the planet. 4.7 VersionTracker stars Hah!

Other apps that I consider to be essential menu bar applications are Synergy and MenuMeters...

[brutal]

• LaunchBar
• Synergy
• Weatherpop
• MenuMail

You can probably replace the to last ones with Konfabulator if you want..

[FB Eye]

1) MenuMeters is a must-have (network activity)
2) MUMenu (MacUpdate listing)
3) Meteorologist
4) Cee Pee You X

[HytestA]

Meteorologist for weather
Fuzzy clock for time (best clock out there imho)
Menumeters for Network traffic, disk space, CPU useage and something else too
MUMenu for them updates
Quakemenu for Quake3 servers
Safarimenu for Bookmarks

One thing I would say is that using MenuMeters installs MenuCracker to enable use of the menubar. When i had 10.2 installed I used Unsanities MenuEnabler to show the menu apps, with 10.3 I started having problems with certain apps loading and others not. It boiled down to MenuCracker and Menuenabler clashing with each other. Removal of Menuenabler solved this problem

[benign]

SleepLess: very small - very useful.
http://www.alxsoft.com/mac/sleepless.html

[JudieKaren]

Originally posted by hostvisions:
Hi all,

I'm still relatively new to the Mac environment so please bear with me. I've read the great thread about OS X applications that you recommend and have downloaded several - thank you for your recommendations.

I was wondering what menu-bar applications you would recommend? I downloaded one for weather which is quite useful, and have seen one that puts a google search box on your menubar which I'd like to have but can't find. I'd also like something that shows network traffic (again, I've seen this on a screenshot but cannot find it anywhere).

What apps would you recommend?

Another vote for *Another Launcher*. It's the one that puts the Google box in your menubar.

[olorin15]

Menu Meters, Desktop Manager, and Another Launcher are the ones I use all the time. Another Launcher has so many features, it has replaced several other apps I ran before.

[phillryu]

EDIT: Um yah, I realize now this was menubar specific apps, but Adium does have a menu item

[Cerbero]

Desktop Manager and Another Launcher for me. Another Launcher is just awesome.

[hostvisions]

thanks, keep them coming!

[Jaey]

I just tried Another Launcher... I have to say it's one of the coolest apps I have ever used. Everybody should get it.

[Frisbee]

Originally posted by Jaey:
I just tried Another Launcher... I have to say it's one of the coolest apps I have ever used. Everybody should get it.

It r0xx0rz

[angelmb]

just open Keychan access and active the menu extra for the app, so you can lock your Mac screen anytime in a snap

[valdur]

can all be found on versiontracker...

wClock, Menu Meters, Another Launcher, WeatherPop, and i use to have synergy but haven't been using it lately bcuz of some problems...but if it works properly..cant live without..and finally...Process Wizard...i love this utility...

[olorin15]

Originally posted by valdur:
can all be found on versiontracker...

wClock, Menu Meters, Another Launcher, WeatherPop, and i use to have synergy but haven't been using it lately bcuz of some problems...but if it works properly..cant live without..and finally...Process Wizard...i love this utility...

What do you need synergy for if you have Another Launcher??? It can do the exact same thing ...

[valdur]

i need synergy for the "wow" factor...i like the transparent floater that displays the ablum art for each new song...pc users are always somehow amazed at this and so am i still..but yeah...for now i'm using another launcher to pause/play and skip through songs...

[bluevertical]

hey guys... quick question. it appears that a lot of you guys use another launcher and love it. me too. i'm trying to stop using synergy and just use AL.... and this brings me to my question.
how can i create hotkeys that show and hide itunes? can this be done in AL? if so how?
any help is greatly appreciated!
cheers.
bv.

[Zee_on]

really simple, drag iTunes from your application folder into the edit window of AL, then dubble click on it from your AL window, (not the name, or it will try to rename it) it will drop down a window that has the option to set hot keys, set it to the key you want, there is also a "hid active application" menu, that you can set a hot key for that too....

hope this helps....


Zee

[bluevertical]

ahhh zee thanks! the hide command was what i couldn't find.
tx!
bv

[bluevertical]

zee.. i have another one for u about AL. is there a way yet to toggle shuffle on itunes?
again thanks for the help.
bv.

[Zee_on]

it would be hella easy to write like a 4 line applescript that does that, I bet you could even find one on the net somewhere already made, maybe even on macosxhints.com, then just stick a hot key on it and kaboom, you've got another menu for AL...

it would be pretty easy to make a whole bunch of little applescripts for AL to make OS X even easer to use with hot keys, (and we could even post them here?)

yay, this app rocks, its iTunes buttons are way faster then synergy's where to click and get a response from.

Zee

[MacDog]

If you post pictures to web forums, or otherwise want to upload pics to FTP, WebDAV or .Mac, you gotta try ImageWell from Xtralean software.

[Apfhex]

For menubar weather apps I'd recommend WeatherMenu over WeatherPop (which I used for a very long time). WeatherMenu is very customizable with more information to add and has prettier icons. Plus, for me at least, I always get more accurate forecasts (no matter what source I used with WeatherPop, it almost always had very messed up and inaccurate forecasts).

[cloudaj]

im a big fan of meteorologist but it seems to crash every few days. Hopefully the new sourceforge memebers are actually working on it and it hasn't died. Even still, works the best for me and has the nicest looking icons IMHO.

[Lord Sith]

Originally posted by MacDog:
If you post pictures to web forums, or otherwise want to upload pics to FTP, WebDAV or .Mac, you gotta try ImageWell from Xtralean software.

Nice tip...... I wasn't aware of this app.

Nice.

[Zee_on]

Another great thing you can do with Another launcher is put all your "real" menu extras in a drop down menu, lets say you use alot of your default menu extras, (stored in "System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras") like the clock, ichat, airport, battery, volume, PPP, and so on, well sometimes you don't have enough space up there for all of them,(like me with my 12" screen) or you are just not using some of them of them very much,

solution, make an alias of the menu extras folder in A,L have it be a drop down menu, then when you don't want one of them up there, hold down the command key and drag it out like its a dock, then when you need it again you just select it in your new menu,

my use, I always have AL's itunes changer up there when I am in my room, and I dont want, or need a clock or battery or airport level when I am in my room, but when I take my laptop with me, (every minute that I am not in my room) I start the whole folder of them.

sorry for my bad wording, little had to understand what exactly I am saying but, if you try it, I am sure you will use it,

believe me, its really cool and useful...

Zee

[brutal]

Shouldn't this thread rather be in Software btw..?

[Frisbee]

Originally posted by brutal:
Shouldn't this thread rather be in Software btw..?

Well, it is software, but it's also customizing your GUI...

[Stuphalina]

I don't see many peple complaining about it being here.
Zee, Just like to say, glad you're here. You make a great addition to our community.
Sorry to others who have also registered and havent gotten my regards as well.

[Zee_on]

Thank you Stuphalina, I have been reading the GUI Customization forums every morning before school for about a month now, and I finally got the nerv to start contributing my OS X knowledge, and am hoping I can be apart of this great aestheticly pleasing GUI community.

p.s. just found the app "geektool" and have been playing with it for like 30 minutes, you can make a really great looking "menu" clock, though it is an overlay not a "real" menu.

Zee

[boy8cookie]

slighty off topic, but does anyone know how to make your own menu?

[Zee_on]

menu or menu extra? very different things...

Zee

[rjenkinson]

Originally posted by Frisbee:
Well, it is software, but it's also customizing your GUI...

it's no more "customizing your GUI" than running an application is. this should be in the software forum.

-r.

[King Bob On The Cob]

Originally posted by Apfhex:
For menubar weather apps I'd recommend WeatherMenu over WeatherPop (which I used for a very long time). WeatherMenu is very customizable with more information to add and has prettier icons. Plus, for me at least, I always get more accurate forecasts (no matter what source I used with WeatherPop, it almost always had very messed up and inaccurate forecasts).

This is the forum for people with taste... when you open WeatherMenu up it still looks like someone took a turd on a piece of paper. Too much info squeezed into one space with very little logical order no matter how pretty the icons are.

[dru]

I use DiskSpace to keep an eye on exactly that: free space available since I alway sseem to be running out.

http://www.mysterysoftware.com/DiskSpace/

[ryaxnb]

I like the Classic Spy app icon better then OS X's built-in Classic monitor (look at Sys Prefs > Classic.) I also think iSeek is a great product, though I don't use it much.

[dhamon]

A question about AnotherLauncher...

I use synergy at the moment, and I want to switch to just AL, but I can't seem to set the hotkeys for itunes control to command-F13, command-F14, etc. which is precisely where I want them.

Also, with the speediness of AL, I want to ditch Konfabulator as a startup item. However, I want to keep it on my computer for handy things like the kitchen timer and headlines and ebay watcher. But it's not stuff I need constantly, so I want to get it out of my startup items. Unfortunately, I can't find out how to do that. I can't access any kind of preference menu that would let me disable this, though I remember seeing the option in either the installer or on initial startup.

All help appreciated.

[Fellow2000]

Originally posted by dhamon:
A question about AnotherLauncher...

I use synergy at the moment, and I want to switch to just AL, but I can't seem to set the hotkeys for itunes control to command-F13, command-F14, etc. which is precisely where I want them.

Also, with the speediness of AL, I want to ditch Konfabulator as a startup item. However, I want to keep it on my computer for handy things like the kitchen timer and headlines and ebay watcher. But it's not stuff I need constantly, so I want to get it out of my startup items. Unfortunately, I can't find out how to do that. I can't access any kind of preference menu that would let me disable this, though I remember seeing the option in either the installer or on initial startup.

All help appreciated.

Click on the Apple menu and open up your system preferences panel. From there, select the 'Accounts' pane. Inside the pane, select your user name, then look at the furthest right tab. It should be labeled 'startup items.' From there, you can select what you want to run at startup.

[dhamon]

I see Login Items, but no Startup Items. Maybe that's only on panther? I'm using 10.2.5

[Stuphalina]

Well, Login items are the same thing as startup items.

[dhamon]

I would tend to disagree:



No evidence of a list of applications launching on login/startup.

[wibs]

Originally posted by dhamon:
I would tend to disagree

You guys need to start saying which OS version you're using because 10.3 and 10.2 access this in different ways, but the effects are the same.

In 10.2 there is a Login Items preference panel. Can't miss it.

In 10.3 you do what Fellow2000 said.

[AfterTen]

Originally posted by King Bob On The Cob:
This is the forum for people with taste... when you open WeatherMenu up it still looks like someone took a turd on a piece of paper. Too much info squeezed into one space with very little logical order no matter how pretty the icons are.

Interesting perspective since the menu is pretty much completely customizable. You can put just about any piece of information in any order, choose to display or not display inforamtion, choose the number of forecast days to display. Customize the information and look (color and font) of what appears in the menubar. You can also add spacers in the menu at almost any point to spead out the information. Also, the icons are pretty (you even said so yourself). So what's the real problem? Right now it sounds like PEBCAC to me

[Zee_on]

Another Launcher is getting a name change!!!

they released an update today, and when you open the update, you get this message about the next version:



this is the best application for customizing your menu-bar, you can make put anything up there, and it makes tons of room in my dock, (its a great place to put apps you only use once in awhile)

I really hope they don't start charging for it, MacUpdate.com lists it as shareware, not donationware like it is...

(idea, maybe I should start a Post your menu-bar and AL configurations thread???

Zee