I started using Alfred about a year ago. It’s a productivity app for OS X, and it makes my time at the computer much more productive. It does way more than just launch apps; It has a clipboard manager that allows you to see and use things you’ve previously copied to the clipboard. Sadly, it’s text only, so it does not work in Photoshop. It does lots more too, but I’ll get to that in a bit. It all starts with a key combination that brings up a search box.
The default combination is command-space. I use that in Photoshop, so I use Shift-Control-Option-Space. I sounds more awkward than it is. You type in a letter or two, it learns your preferences, and a list pops up. When the application you want to launch is at the top of the list, just hit return, and bingo! In the screen shot, P selects Photoshop. But if I typed a “d”, PDF Pen would be on top. Similarly, documents can be opened by first typing a space, then the letters of the file name.
The clipboard history appears with the key combination Command-Option-C. You then see a list of the things that have been in your clipboard. Very handy!
Finally, there are workflows. Too complex to go into here, and frankly I don’t use them much, but they are very powerful. There is a free version, and you can get the PowerPack upgrade that adds more features. There is a Mac Power Users podcast about it with lots of info and links to more info. If you try it, let me know how it works for you.
