Mac OS X | System / Utilities | Tweaks / Enhancements | LaunchBar

LaunchBar - 5.0 beta 3

Open apps, files, and URLs via abbreviation.

Download v 5.0.2

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All Time:	(4.8)
Version 5.0 beta 3:	(5.0)
Selected Version:	5.0 beta 3
Release Date:	2008-12-31
License:	Beta
Downloads (version 5.0 beta 3):	823
Downloads (all versions):	8,086
Price:	$19.95

Information Related to Version:

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Product Description:

LaunchBar is an award winning productivity utility that offers an amazingly intuitive and efficient way to search and access any kind of information stored on your computer or on the web. It provides instant access to your applications, documents, contacts and bookmarks, to your music library, to search engines and more, just by entering short abbreviations of the searched item's name.

You just hit Command-Space to bring LaunchBar's input window to front, enter an arbitrary abbreviation, and as soon as you start typing LaunchBar displays the best matching choices, ready to be opened immediately.

Start applications, open documents, invoke system services, compose emails or navigate the web - LaunchBar will be your essential servant.

What's new in this version:

New Clipboard History default action: Paste as Plain Text.
The Clipboard History action "Copy and Paste" has been changed to "Paste", so the current clipboard contents are no longer altered when pasting a clipboard history item.
Added "Send to" support for Clipboard History items (by pressing the Tab key).
Reduced memory footprint of Clipboard History.
The Clipboard preferences help button now opens the correct help page.
Creating iCal events: Several bug fixes and improvements when entering time and date:
The hour/minute separator (colon or dot) can now be omitted in non-ambiguous cases (e.g. Fri 0800-1030). However, it's still necessary to enter the separator in ambiguous cases (Jan 13, 2010 vs. Jan 13, 20:10)
Fixed an issue when entering time ranges across noon or midnight (e.g. 10-12.30pm)
Fixed an issue when entering only weekday and time (e.g. Fri 7.30pm)
Added "Recompress Image" actions.
Fixed an issue when dragging multiple files onto LaunchBar's Dock icon.
Added missing German localization in software update check.
Fixed an issue causing LaunchBar not to hide when started automatically at login.
Fixed an issue with Instant Send / Get Finder Selection (Command-G) when there was nothing selected in Finder.
The shortcut for "Run in Background" / "Execute in Background" has been changed from Shift-Return to Option-Return to resolve a conflict with the new "Apply last entered text to selected item" feature, which also uses the Shift-Return shortcut.
The "Check Spelling While Typing" setting of LaunchBar's input window is now preserved across restarts.
Fixed some issues with Asian input methods in LaunchBar's text input field.
The ClipMerge sound effect can now be customized by providing one or more sound files in the ~/Library/Application Support/LaunchBar/Sounds/ClipMerge folder. If this folder contains more than one sound file, the sound effect will be chosen randomly.
Improved ClipMerge when typing Command-C-C via key repeat (when Command-C is kept pressed until ClipMerge is performed).
The Command-Space-Space app switcher can now be cancelled with Escape while the Command key is still pressed.
Files can now be sent to Services menu actions via "Send to".
Fixed an issue causing launched applications not to become active (occurred only when running LaunchBar without a Dock icon).
Fixed a crashing issue when invoking Entourage actions on computers not having Entourage installed.
Fixed a rare crashing issue at startup.

Operating System Requirements:

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

Mac OS X 10.5 Intel
Mac OS X 10.5 PPC
Mac OS X 10.4 Intel
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 10.2/10.3/10.4/10.5

Feedback Summary:

Version 5.0 beta 3:
Overall Rating:	(5.0)	Features:	Not rated (0.0)	Support:	Not rated (0.0)
Ease of Use:	Not rated (0.0)	Quality / Stability:	Not rated (0.0)	Price:	Not rated (0.0)

Key to Types of Feedback:

Reviews Reviews Troubleshooting Usage Tips Developer Notes Commentary Featured Reviews

Superb product. - Version: 5.0.2, 11/15/2009 11:56AM PST

igamogam

When I use other Macs I am lost without this software.

LaunchBar can do what other launchers do but the other stuff is just amazing. I haven't used spotlight directly in nearly two years (which is a blessing) and the ability to jump between locations, folders, programs and projects easily without having to think cannot be replicated easily using another launcher as far as I know.

Superb!

The MUST have util! - Version: 5.0rc3, 7/7/2009 12:07PM PST

(1 of 1 users found this comment useful)

vanrey

The most useful utility I know!

Works like a charm... - Version: 4.3.7, 6/12/2009 01:58PM PST

(2 of 2 users found this comment useful)

dsphelps

I've been using this for years now, and though I have stuck with ver. 4.3.7 because it seems to be faster on my G3, I can totally recommend it as a must-have. Spend some time going through the documentation and playing around with it and you will be amazed at what it can do: open apps and folders, bookmarks, control iTunes, look up in Google, Amazon, etc., all from a tiny bar. Have tried similar freeware but keep coming back to this. It helps to peer under the hood, though, to really discover all the uses.