I honestly can’t remember the last time I used Spotlight to search for a particular file. Usually I know where the file is and, since I never found Spotlight to be all that helpful, it never had a chance to incorporate itself into my computer-using habits as a time-saving on-instinct tool.
This article by Kirk McElhearn at the Mothership might change my Spotlight usage patterns, assuming my efforts to embrace the system search aren’t sabotaged by my ADHD’s tendency to shift my attention away from my task and to whatever I catch a glimpse of online or on TV. Like Hilary Clinton going positive in her campaign ads, and even back-handedly defending Obama against Bush’s appeasement comments. Does she finally recognize she really has no chance of winning the nomination? Is she trying to save the party from the chasmic divide caused by the primaries? Is that why she’s staying in the race? Not leave her supporters with a sour mouth, spiteful and hateful towards Obama? Instead, trying to make them seem like allies and friends regardless of who wins the nomination so people will unite around the Democratic candidate, whoever that may be? Am I totally wrong? Why am I asking so many questions? Why does the GEICO gecko have such a stupid accent?
Oh, Spotlight. Right: McElhearn offers a bunch of tips and tricks to make the most of Leopard’s Spotlight: using boolean searches, metadata, keywords, the calculator, dictionary, etc.
It’s a great resource for those looking to start—or start again—utilizing the often-overlooked OS X selling point. I’ve already begun making use of the calculator and dictionary. Very useful. And I think over time I will finally appreciate the… Oh, what the hell? This South Park rerun was on yesterday. You’d think they’d switch it up a bit. Probably the same bums like me watching every episode anyway….
Lets keep the MacUser posts focused on Mac news please.
I wouldn't bring up politics in a Mac-related forum except that the author of the article did so first...
Here's what's interesting about Bush's comments about "appeasement": Bush mentioned no names and didn't even obliquely reference a political party when he made his comments. His comments were made in an historical context to the government of a people that suffered greatly because of appeasement. And yet, Barack Obama and several other Democrats (Pelosi, Biden, Hillary to name a few) took it to specifically refer to Obama.
That little fact should be raising a few eyebrows. The only reason for people to react to vociferously and angrily to these comments was that they felt these comments were directed at them; and since there were no names mentioned, they must feel some level of guilt at having had feelings like the President described in his speech ("If only I could talk to that homicidal maniac, things could be different.").
If Obama (and the rest) really have no appeasement inclinations, the proper thing to do would have been to say, very plainly: "I agree with the President; appeasement has never been the answer in dealing with despotism and I will not do so." Methinks the man dost protest too much!
Not to make this a political thread but come on, Bush said that of course talking about Obama. The fact that he said Hitler's name in Israel really shows how low he will go.
You really don't use Spotlight at all?
That's surprising, because it is OS X's most useful tool for me. Been using Calculator and Dictionary since forever… or at least, from the day I upgraded to Leopard.
But then again, seeing the tone of this post, I guess you must've been joking.
@D Jones
"A historic" not "an historic" 'An' is used when followed by a vowel sound; if you were to say " 'istoric" then you would use 'an', but since we pronounce the 'h' we don't use 'an'. You wouldn't say "an horse" would you?
OK, I'll definitely say that in its Tiger iteration, Spotlight failed to deliver on its promises by generally being a bit crap. However, the Leopard implementation is just wonderful. I no longer need an application launcher, the calculations are damned handy, and the speed at finding files is much improved. Combine Spotlight with QuickLook and CoverFlow in the Finder and you have nirvana. I can understand why people gave up with Spotlight in Tiger but anyone with Leopard should be using it now.
I should also note that I have many thousands of files on my drive and if you think I'm searching through folders manually to find what I need then you're very much mistaken.
You can say "an historic," though you risk offending the (self-appointed) Elite Grammar Guard. There are extensive threads dedicated to this subject at pretty much every single English-obsessed website. The consensus is that it is acceptable.
@Wondercow
Actually, "an historic" is very common usage. Many folks nearly drop the "h" when pronouncing "historic," (particularly those with accents of an east coast or English flavor) so the article "an" produces a better spoken flow.
Potato, potato...
This is a Mac user website. Please spare us the politics. If you want to make those sorts of comments, start a political blog.
@Donn
Yes common usage but then again, so are double negatives and using "him and I"--just because it's common doesn't make it right. Like I said if the pronunciation is " 'istoric" then it would be 'an', but in regions where the 'H' is pronounced (like the US, where the OP is from) then it is wrong to use 'an':
an house
an horse
an helper
an happy time
an helicopter
an history book
an honeybee
an historic... all wrong.
The ADHD rant was skillfully handled, and the funniest thing I've read on this site.
If Obama wants to run with the big dogs and actually be president, he's gonna get called a lot worse than an appeaser. Which, by the way, Bush didn't call him. If he was talking about anyone's recent actions in particular, I was Jimmy Carter, who got played by Hamas about a month ago.
While I tend to agree that "an" before a word beginning with and sounding the "h" is odd, I disagree that it's a rule absolute. In fact, there are even codified examples of it in various state and federal laws. So, you're really bashing a number of very educated persons who would likely contest your statement that it is flatly wrong.
Which is all to say: a mac forum post shouldn't stray to political topics and a response to a substantive political point should probably leave off quibbling over arcane grammatical disagreements.
Discussion of politics and religion is often poisonous... it can make even the most sane and rational person hostile and confrontational. At the very least, while I'm confident many of us enjoy your posts, I'm quite certain none of us come to them seeking political commentary.
As a PhD student, the major benefit of Spotlight is that if you have many pdfs of journal articles on your hard drive (I have >1500), Spotlight will not only find what you're looking for in the file name but also in the pdf itself at the same time automatically & do it quickly & highlight the instances of the term for you in the pdf when it's opened in Preview. Doing it on a pc seems to take ages and you have to remember to enter your search term in the box that will search within a file & it won't highlight the term for you. Hands down, finding research materials on your computer is easier and faster on a Mac using Spotlight.
Mac-Dems for Mac-Cain...
And, who doesn't find Spotlight useful?
There's nothing more awesome, for me at least, than being able to find a clients ad/marketing material or invoices without having to double-click folder... after folder after folder... after folder... Hmmm not there? Maybe it's in this folder 'click-click'... folder 'click-click'... folder 'click-click'... Fudge not there either.
Whelp, just do an 'option-command-shift' and type in the client's name and bammo (not Obama) there's my files. Gotta' love Macs.
I love the gecko's accent!