Quicksilver is great! I've been using it for quite a while now and am still learning more about it. I use it mainly as a launcher - just type the application/file/folder you want and Quicksilver usually finds it as a first option. If not, there is a list of possibilities to choose from (based on what was keyed-in). You don't even have to spell the whole name - MSW, Wo, Word or even W will present Microsoft Word as the first option. The best part is, when you scroll to the item you want and activate it, Quicksilver remembers and presents that item as the first option the next time. It learns from you! Eg. I activate QS with Control - Spacebar and type Ill for my Illustrator, Photo for Photoshop, IPh for iPhoto, Saf for Safari, etc. Press Enter and the app launches.

Apart from launching the item, you also have the option to do other things with it eg. move, copy, delete, trash, open the file with another application, email the file, send file via bluetooth etc. All these can be done just within the Quicksilver Command Window. Eg :
Opening Files in Non-Default Apps
1. Activate QS, key-in and locate pdf file
2. Tab to go to next box in QS Command Window, key-in OW for Open With
3. Tab again for next box and key in Ill for Illustrator.
Boom! - Illustrator launches and the pdf file is opened in it.

Go to websites
1. Activate QS and type . (a fullstop/period) - QS changes the first box for text input - key-in a website url (no www. needed - apple.com will do just fine)
2. tab to next box - this would now show 'Open Url' - press Enter and www.apple.com will open in Safari (the default browser for many mac-addicts) OR key-in OW - this activates 'Open Url With' (QS is smart enough to know that you keyed-in an url and not a file).
3. Tab to next box and type Fire for Firefox - now the link will open in FireFox instead.

Move/Copy files
Sometimes I have a mess of workfiles on my desktop and I want to move them to my job folder. I just highlight the files in Finder then :
1. Activate QS, key-in Apple - G, this brings all my files into the first QS window (there's an indicator there like Mail's which shows you the number of items to work on)
2. Tab to next box - key in Move
3. Tab to next box - key in Job (my job folder then appears in this window). Press Enter and all the files will be moved to my Job Folder.

Quicksilver can also create triggers - these are keyboard shortcuts or mouse gestures - to launch apps, files, applescripts, activate expose, control itunes and more. I use the triggers to open my most used folders - Job Folder (Shift-Option-Apple-J), etc; activate (F1) and control iTunes (this requires the iTunes plug-in - Shift-Option-Apple-Spacebar for Play/Pause and others for next/previous track, vol up/Down, to rate the tracks and Info on What's Playing), Eject (F16) and Close (F13) my external DVD- Burner, Shutdown (Apple-F15) or put my iMac to Sleep (Apple-F14).

Quicksilver can also do web-searches (need to do some work if your favourite website is not listed), browse and search itunes, append text into documents, find contacts, appts etc. In my mind, the possibilities are endless - just have to take the effort to remember what can be done and how it's done. Generally, it's quite intuitive and most of the things you do will be just in the QS Command Window - that means you'll be able to do it from any app. You can use QS out of the box but a little tweaking with the catalogs and such would make things much better and rewarding. You have to run through the documentation and tips to get a better idea. I believe I'm only using a small fraction of what Quicksilver is capable of. Like I said, do the research, read the documentation, visit some Quicksilver tips website (http://docs.blacktree.com/quicksilver/tutorials) to get the most out of it. I love using Quicksilver and it's an indispensable part of my Mac System Utilities. Best part - it's FREE!

Having said that, I won't argue that some people might not like Quicksilver - maybe it's not quite the way they like to work or think. I feel it's intuitive and natural but that's just me. I would suggest you try it out for a while just to get the feel of it.


BTW - I've kind of disabled Spotlight. Been using Quicksilver before I upgraded to Tiger so I find Spotlight quite lacking. Truth be told, I've never even ventured into using Spotlight. In fact, I've disabled the Apple-Spacebar for Spotlight (done in the Spotlight System Preferences) and use Quicksilver's Trigger function to activate EasyFind (Freeware) instead.

hi groucho

No prob. Glad to hear that you are having fun with Quicksilver.