Version 2.0 of the Mac launcher Overflow was released today and I really like it. Launchers are supposed to help balance the need to have files and applications easy to access on one hand and the need for your computer to stay organized on the other. I find Quicksilver, the most popular Mac launcher, more trouble than it’s worth for my needs. Overflow is less reliant on keystrokes for one thing.
The new version of the application is essentially the first that’s really usable. You can drag and drop files into Overflow, create multiple categories or pages and use a hot key to launch the tray. You can position it wherever you want on your screen and it will open in the same location each time you open it.
Overflow costs $15 but is free to use at first. Some people complain that’s too much money, but Winnipeg based Stunt Software deserves to be rewarded for their work. The nice thing about buying software like this is that it’s so straightforward - I get to try it and if I like it then 100% of the money goes to the developers. Distribution channels are set up that anyone can use (I found this via Mac Update) and those channels run advertising. What a different scenario than purchasing music most places online. I would feel bad not paying a company like this for their work if it proved useful; that’s certainly not the case when it comes to music from major lables.
If other Mac launchers don’t work for you, give Overflow a try. You might really appreciate its simplicity and usefulness.
Comments
> Overflow costs $15 but is free to use at first. Some people complain that’s too much money
$15 sounds like too much because it’s free at first.
No, that’s how I know it’s worth it - because I get to use it for free at first. The psychology of it all might work out how you describe for some people though, I can see that.
why is this needed? I thought the big deal with a mac was ease of use?
@lemon - It’s not needed. People do fine without launchers, but some people like the extra features that launchers offer.
I might try this out when I get home, but there’s nothing that compares to Quicksilver…it’s so much more than a launcher and it’s free.
$15 is nothing. Developers spend a lot of time and effort making these things, and $15 is a minimal price to reward that effort.
This looks great. The video at thier site really shows off the app! I think I still like my Quicksilver though. I’ll keep it in mind for the future.
Quicksilver has just the right level of complexity to be powerful. If you want to just point and drool, just point and drool — no additional software required.
There are several categories of Mac launchers, all of which attempt to address some usability or feature deficiencies with the built-in Dock in Mac OS X.
Each of these alternative launchers can be used as a supplement to the Dock, and some are sufficiently full featured to replace the Dock.
Overflow seems to be positioned as a supplement to the Dock, with a spare, clean design. DragThing - as well as several less capable alternatives in the same product space - can be used to replace the Dock outright. LaunchBar, Butler, and QuickSilver all offer launching paradigms which represent more radical departures from the Dock.
Great! Quicksilver is gone now
I also like how fast it initializes on my PPC
For the Windows power users out there, I’d recommend Launchy. It’s a wonderful time saver if you’re like me and prefer typing to moving the mouse. It’s open source.
http://launchy.net
$15 bucks might be reasonable, but with launcher-type-apps like this that “just work”, you’d think the ultimate payoff would be a buy-out offer with a wack of Apple shares. This looks like it would play very nicely with Spaces.
Better than quicksilver is a great free osx launcher tool called todos. This is not customizable but instead shows you icons of *all* your apps:
http://www.dbachrach.com/opens.....page=Todos
I think Quicksilver is MUCH better than this, and it’s free. This seems almost like an advertisement to me, trying to convince us that it’s worth our money. Honestly, this is just like having more docks all over the place. Quicksilver and this can’t even be compared.
This sounds cool. Though $15 is not too much, people might have a problem paying because it only fulfills something which is not a major problem. But its definitely worth a try.
Quicksilver works fine for me, but what’s the deal with comparing the shareware software model to music at major labels? Am I the only one who finds that wholly off-topic and not exactly a stunning observation?
If there’s a word-count minimum, just drop it already rather than adding a small diatribe about the music industry.
Not to be annoying but the point of Quicksilver is the keystrokes. It is quicker than mousing. If that isn’t your bag then no worries, we all do things differently and speed isn’t the only measure. But saying that Overflow is better than Quicksilver because it doesn’t rely on keystrokes is a wee bit odd.
Huh. Is TechCrunch breaking from Web2.0 land? I’ve never seen you guys review a Mac app of this ilk before… why the break with convention? Just curious…
I have installed Overflow yesterday and it is great in its own right - I love how it ‘unclutters’ my dock. However comparing it to Quicksilver is absurd, that’s like comparing a corkscrew to a Swiss Army knife. They both can open a bottle of your favorite chateau, but the knife brings so much more to the table.
QuickSilver has unlimited options through its plug-in architecture: integration of Voodoopad which let you append text (functionality for textfiles too), iTunes integration, calculation, del.icio.us and ma.gnolia integration, all your major browser bookmarks availabity, flickr upload, dictionary lookup, clipboard history, addressbook searhc, integrated ZIP compression, slideshows, backpack integration and so on.
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