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Mac OS X  |  System / Utilities  |  Shutdown / Launch Utilities  |  Butler

Butler

Butler - 4.0b26

Launch applications and navigate the file system using abbreviations or hot keys.

All Time: (4.7)
Version 4.0b26: (4.4)
Selected Version: 4.0b26
Release Date: 2005-08-29
License: Beta
Downloads (version 4.0b26): 2,716
Downloads (all versions): 5,195

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Product Description:

What is Butler?

A file launcher.
You can access applications and any other kind of document by browsing fully customizable system-wide spring-loaded menus, pressing hot keys, clicking hot corners, or entering abbreviations. Butler will learn from your habits and remember what you want a certain abbreviation to do (e.g., enter "abo" to launch "Address Book").

A bookmark manager.
Butler offers you a way to manage your bookmarks without depending on a certain browser. In contrary to a browser's bookmark collection, Butler's bookmarks are always accessible through its system-wide menus, hot keys, etc. And you'll certainly become addicted to accessing bookmarks by entering abbreviations. Butler also lets you access the bookmarks of every single browser there is for Mac OS X.
Adding files or URLs from your browser to Butler's configuration is stunningly easy: Just drag them to the active screen corner (default: top left), see Butler's main window open, and drop your items somewhere whithin your configuration.

A web search utility.
Butler's predecessor "Another Launcher" was the first application that let you search the web from the menu bar. But if your menu bar is too crowded for an input field, you can also use hot keys to pop up dedicated web search windows. Butler supports a large number of search engines by default, but you are not restricted to those ? you can easily add your own search engines.

A pasteboard extension.
Butler lets you access items you have previously stored in your pasteboard, effectively turning your pasteboard into a stack. You can also take a snapshot of your current pasteboard and keep it for good. This feature is particularly useful for text snippets you need to enter on a regular basis.

And so much more...
You can use Butler to move and copy files, control iTunes, access the system preferences, change the current user, and so on. But Butler really shines when it comes to customizing its behavior. Is your menu bar too crowded? Use Butler's docklet! Do you want a menu for each mounted volume? Do you want a menu to pop up when you press a certain hot key? Do you want all running applications in your menu bar? Or do you prefer doing things with your keyboard only? Whatever kind of interface you prefer, Butler is at your service.

What's new in this version:

  • You can now have items in the menu bar and the docklet at the same time.
  • You can now specify the relative position of menu bar items.
  • New Smart Item: "AppleScript". You can now create and edit AppleScripts in Butler -- without using an external editor. "AppleScript" Smart Items also let you paste their results on execution.
  • New Smart Item: "Text". This Smart Item tries to insert its content whenever it is triggered. (Reminder: "Custom Pasteboard" Smart Items will give you access to formatted text and pictures.)
  • Butler now ignores unknown pasteboard types by default. You can switch this off in the "Pasteboard" section of Butler's preferences. Ignoring unknown pasteboard types might solve some of the compatibility issues between Butler and certain applications (e.g., MS Word, MS RDC). Any feedback on this is very welcome!
  • When launching items from the abbreviations window, you can now keep Butler from (re-)assigning abbreviations on the fly by holding the [control] modifier key while pressing the [return] key. (Reminder: Butler still never assigns an abbreviation when you choose the topmost item in the list of matches.)
  • You can now have several active corners (or none) for adding items to Butler's configuration via drag & drop.
  • You can now specify exceptions for "iTunes: Library" Smart Items.
  • You can specify the menu recursion level for "Folder" items again.
  • Implemented a workaround for Butler's "Show in Finder..." functionality, which was broken in Mac OS X 10.4.
  • Fixed a regression that made Butler crash on opening the preferences on Mac OS X 10.2.
  • Fixed a regression that made features related to the frontmost application not work as expected on OS versions prior to Mac OS X 10.4.
  • Fixed a bug that made Butler ignore exceptions for top-level "Running Applications" Smart Items.
  • Fixed a bug that kept pasteboard-related Smart Items from pasting correctly under certain, rare conditions.
  • Fixed a bug that made Butler crash when launched by opening a ".butleritems" file.
  • Restructured the configuration inspector.
  • Restructured the preferences.
  • Available languages: English only -- please refer to the "Localizations" section of the user guide!

Operating System Requirements:

This product is designed to run on the following operating systems:

  • Mac OS X 10.4 PPC
  • Mac OS X 10.3.9
  • Mac OS X 10.3
  • Mac OS X 10.2

Additional Requirements:

  • Mac OS X 10.2.8 or higher (Mac OS X 10.4 strongly recommended)

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Feedback Summary:

Version 4.0b26:
Overall Rating: (4.4) Features: (4.2) Support: (3.8)
Ease of Use: (3.8) Quality / Stability: (4.6) Price: (5.0)
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Butler ReviewSeems to work OK with Snow Leopard... - Version: 4.1.6, 10/20/2009 04:46PM PST

dsorel
As fart as I can tell, Butler works fine with the new OS.
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Butler ReviewExcellent little tool - Version: 4.1.6, 7/19/2008 01:50AM PST

pkiula
Does what it says, very handily.
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Butler ReviewIndispensable - Version: 4.1.5 Transient, 3/24/2008 03:34PM PST

(4 of 4 users found this comment useful)

jonathanmitchell_dotmac
Wonderful range of features- excellent clipboard, Google in the menubar, better Spotlight searcher, all the features of FruitMenu or the old OS9 Apple menu, immediate access to email addresses, etc. Very easy to customize- all changes show up immediately.
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