LaunchBar 4 review

LaunchBar is a launcher utility that can find just about anything, instantly.

It's invoked using a keystroke - typically, alt-space - which causes a small text field to drop from the menu bar in any application. You then type a few letters to locate an object on your hard disk. Files, folders, applications, iTunes music - all can be opened with just a few characters.

However, LaunchBar is much cleverer than that. The characters you type don't have to appear together in the file name, as long as they appear in that sequence somewhere in the word. So typing 'xl', say, could launch Excel; you might type 'saf' for Safari, 'te' for TextEdit, and so on.

So how does LaunchBar know 'te' should launch TextEdit, rather than AfterEffects or Photoshop Elements? The answer is that it doesn't: it will pop up a list of items containing the characters you type as each one is entered. But if you use 'te' to choose TextEdit more than once, it will assume that it's TextEdit you want from that key combination from there on.

LaunchBar can also search inside your Address Book to display your contacts. Once you've selected the name you want (using the up/down cursor keys), press return to open it in Address Book, or hit the right cursor key to view their address, email and phone number. Selecting a phone number will display it at large size on the monitor; selecting their email address will automatically switch to your preferred email application and create a new message addressed to that person. Once again, LaunchBar remembers what you like to do: if you frequently send emails to someone named John Smith, then pressing 'js', right arrow and enter will compose a new email to that person from within any application, at any time.

The Indexing Rule mode allows you to search folder contents, or similar types of file simply and quickly using character strings and the cursor keys. Hitting the left cursor key will take you to a directory structure showing the contents of your hard disks, which can be navigated using the same combination of letters and cursor keys. And there are many more features buried away for power users to discover, such as the ability to search Safari histories, Google and iPhoto libraries.

LaunchBar is the most powerful, lightning-fast and elegant browser application yet produced for the Mac. For those who hate reaching for the mouse simply to retrieve a phone number or to launch an application, there's no better alternative.