Productivity on OS X

Expose, Apple-Tab (accessable with the click of scollwheel on my mouse) and discovering that you can add applications to the toolbar of finder windows has helped me alot

May I suggest HoudahSpot (http://www.houdah.com/houdahSpot) for your file searches. It's based on Spotlight but blows the default interface out of the water!

A major update is due June 16. Keep your eyes open!

DISCLAIMER: I am the author of HoudahSpot

@20 2 secs eh? That's quick, but have you tried using triggers? I use probably 10% of what quicksilver can do, but I found it useful to assign triggers. I have my function keys 1 to 6 set up to open/switch to safari, mail, itunes, skype, adium etc. One keypress and the app opens if it's closed and makes it the front app if it's open. Cool as.

I'm sure I could do so much more with it too.

Lee

I'd really suggest to check out these apps as they are all productivity boosters: Quicksilver, TextMate, BetterZip, VoodooPad, xScope. (Just use Google to find them).

And then there is one system function that changed my life (at least that part that has to do with my Mac): The search clipboard: Select some text, press Cmd+E. Now press Cmd+G to search the next occurence of that text, Cmd+Shift+G for the previous. Works in all apps through out the system. And works extra cool with Quicksilver's quick searches.

thank you RC! ive installed it and its f******* brillaint. i love not having to browse through my itunes library.

When you start using a new app, take 15 minutes to look through all the menus. Then take another 5 minutes to learn the key equivs for all the menu items you'll use most often. Using key equivs instead of the mouse can shave a lot of time off any task. And learn to navigate and select text with the arrow keys and modifiers instead of the mouse.

I mainly use Excel and email for my work, so I'm less productive on a Mac than on a PC. It sucks, but Excel on the Mac doesn't cut it, and email programs on the Mac aren't integrated with the office schedule, etc.

Consequently I use a PC for work, and my Macs at home for everything I want to do.

Thanks for the Witch tip whoever it was - its a great app!

I love Quicksilver for sending quick emails - find the user/compose email/send!

but my MOST useful trick is to map the 5th button on my mouse to CMD-W (close window) - I am an obsessive window closer and it really does it for me :) Along with the 4th button for switching tabs in Safari I can efficiently navigate the days RSS news articles!

Can anybody find a updated tutorial for quick silver? A lot of the features they talk about arent there anymore.

Quicksilver is a great app, but has not been updated since January.

Butler continues to be updated and in some ways, surpasses Quicksilver in terms of functionality. This is one of the few apps on my Mac that are a "must-have". It makes me highly productive and keeps my computer free from clutter.

I use it to google, look up web pages, email people, and launch apps. And I am not even scratching the surface of what it can really do. But these basic actions are easily understood for the uninitiated. ;)