Ondrej Holzman Since I started using the Mac OS X operating system (now OS X Lion), Spotlight has become an integral part of it for me. I used the system-wide search technology on a daily basis and never thought of getting rid of it. But I haven't used Spotlight in a few weeks. And reason? Alfred.
No, I'm not actually using some henchman named Alfred to search now… although I am. Alfred is a direct competitor to Spotlight, and what's more, it significantly surpasses the system issue with its functionality. Personally, I've never had a reason to begrudge Spotlight. I've heard about Alfred several times, but I've always wondered - why install a third-party application when Apple offers it already built into the system?
But once I couldn't do it, I installed Alfred and after a few hours the words: "Goodbye, Spotlight..." Of course, I had several reasons for the change, which I would like to discuss here.
Speed
For the most part, I haven't had a problem with Spotlight search speed. True, indexing the content was annoying and tedious at times, but there was nothing to be done about it. However, Alfred is still a step further in speed, and you will never encounter any indexing. You have the results "on the table" really immediately, after writing the first few letters.
You will then be able to launch or open the searched items themselves more quickly. You open the first one on the list with Enter, the next one either by combining the CMD button with the corresponding number, or by moving the arrow over it.
Search
While Spotlight doesn't have a lot of advanced settings options, Alfred is literally bursting with them. In the system-based search engine, you can actually only set what you want to search for and how to sort the results, but that's all. In addition to basic search, Alfred supports many other useful shortcuts and functions, many of which are not even related to search. But that's the power of the app.
Alfred is also smart, it remembers which applications you launch most often and will also sort them in the results accordingly. As a result, you only need the smallest number of buttons to launch your favorite application. However, Spotlight also manages mostly the same thing.
Keywords
One of the best features of Alfredo is the so-called keywords. You enter that keyword in the search field and Alfred suddenly gets a different function, a new dimension. You can do so using commands find, open a in search for files in the Finder. Again, simple and quick. It is also important that you can freely modify all keywords (these and those that will be mentioned), so you can, for example, "polish" them, or simply choose the ones that suit you best.
This is also one of the biggest differences with Spotlight. It automatically searches for you across the entire system – applications, files, contacts, emails and more. On the other hand, Alfred primarily searches for applications until you have to define it with a keyword if you want to search for something else. This makes searching much faster when Alfred doesn't have to scan the entire drive.
Web search
I personally see the enormous power of Alfredo in working with Internet searches. Just type a keyword google and the entire following expression will be searched on Google (and opened in the default browser). It's not just Google though, you can search like this on YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and practically every other service you can think of. Therefore, of course, there is also such a Wikipedia. Again, each shortcut can be edited, so if you often search on Facebook and don't want to type it out all the time "facebook -search term-",just change the keyword Facebook for example only on fb.
You can also set up your own internet search. There are many pre-set services, but everyone has other websites where they often search - for Czech conditions, the best example would probably be ČSFD (Czechoslovak Film Database). You just enter the search URL, set the keyword and save a few precious seconds the next time you search the database. Of course, you can also search directly from Alfred here on Jablíčkář or in the Mac App Store.
Calculator
As in Spotlight, there is also a calculator, but in Alfred it also handles advanced functions. If you activate them in the settings, you just need to always write them at the beginning = and you can playfully calculate sines, cosines or logarithms with Alfredo. Of course, it is not as convenient as on a classic calculator, but it is more than enough for a quick calculation.
Spelling
Perhaps the only function where Alfred loses, at least for Czech users. In Spotlight, I actively used the built-in Dictionary application, where I had an English-Czech and Czech-English dictionary installed. Then it was enough to enter an English word in Spotlight and the expression was immediately translated (it's not so easy in Lion, but it still works the same way). Alfred, at least for the time being, cannot handle third-party dictionaries, so the only English explanatory dictionary that can be used is currently.
I use the dictionary in Alfred at least by entering sets, the search term and I press Enter, which will take me to the application with the search term or translation.
System commands
As you have already found out, Alfred can replace many other applications, or rather, save time by solving the given actions much more easily. And he can also control the entire system. Commands like restart, sleep or shutdown they are certainly not strangers to him. You can also quickly start a screen saver, log out or lock the station. Just press ALT + spacebar (default shortcut to activate Alfred), write restart, press Enter and the computer will restart.
If you also activate other options, you can use the command ejectoreject removable drives and commands also work in running applications hide, quit a forcequit.
Power Pack
Up until now, all the Alfred features you've read about have been free. However, the developers offer something extra to all this. For 12 pounds (approx. 340 crowns) you get the so-called Power Pack, which moves Alfred to an even higher level.
We'll take it in order. With Powerpack, you can send emails directly from Alfred, or use a keyword mail, search for the recipient's name, press Enter, and a new message with a header will open in the mail client.
Directly in Alfred, it is also possible to view contacts from the Address Book and copy the relevant initials directly to the clipboard. All this without opening the address book app.
iTunes control. You select a keyboard shortcut (other than the one used to open the basic Alfred window) to activate the control window, the so-called Mini iTunes Player, and you can browse through your albums and songs without having to switch to iTunes. There are also keywords such as Next to switch to the next track or classic play a pause.
For an additional fee, Alfred will also manage your clipboard. In short, you can view all the text you copied in Alfredo and possibly work with it again. Again, the setting is wide.
And the last distinctive feature of Powerpack is the ability to browse the file system. You can practically create a second Finder from Alfred and use simple shortcuts to navigate through all folders and files.
We should also mention the possibility of modifying themes that Powerpack brings, synchronization of settings through Dropbox or global gestures for favorite applications or files. You can also create your own extensions to Alfred, using AppleScript, Workflow, etc.
A replacement for not only Spotlight
Alfred is an excellent piece of software that has gradually developed into an application that I can't put down anymore. I originally didn't believe I could ditch Spotlight, but I did and was rewarded with even more features. I've included Alfredo in my daily workflow and I'm impatiently waiting to see what's new in version 1.0. In it, the developers promise many other novelties. Even the current version, 0.9.9, is packed with features anyway. In short, anyone who doesn't try Alfredo doesn't know what they're missing. Not everyone may be comfortable with this way of searching, but there will definitely be those who, like me, will leave Spotlight.
Mac App Store - Alfred (Free)
Gee, that sounds pretty complicated. When I look at the robber on the top right... The only thing that appeals to me is the speed.
"Then it was enough to enter an English word in Spotlight and the expression was translated straight away (it's not so easy in Lion, but it still works similarly)."
I used this in SL too, but it doesn't work for me in Lion. Would there be instructions somewhere on how to do this in Lion as well?
In Lion, the translation is not displayed immediately, but you have to hover over the word and the translation will only be displayed using Quick Look.
And wouldn't it be possible to somehow use the pronunciation (or what it is)? When I turn on the standard dictionary and search for tree in Spotlight, it shows me "tree |trē|". Couldn't a dictionary be compiled in such a way that the translation is stored directly in place of the pronunciation? Then it would appear directly in the search result. I.e. so that it shows something like "tree". Rushing to the result is just an unnecessary springboard.
Yeah, that would work in Alfred too. But I can't do anything like that and I don't know if it could be done that way.
Where can I get the CZ-EN dictionary for Dictionary?
http://cl.ly/9To2
Unzip, drop into Library/Spelling, restart the computer, choose a new language for spelling in the settings, restart.
I apologize for the mystification, of course I included instructions on Czech spelling. Here is the fix.
http://cl.ly/9Umr
This is the perfect way to break down this information.
knSjgJ iwclgxpfrrlx
Does Alfred also work for you to search by content in a document? I can't get him to do it for anything. While spotlight easily finds the document containing the search string, Alfred doesn't catch it at all :-(
Apparently, I have Alfred set up somehow wrong, but I don't know what to change there... can anyone give me some advice?
Thanks.