Hands-On Mac 7

The only problem with the Mac's GUI interface is that it may take some digging to find the file or application you want to use. But Apple has a fix for that: Spotlight, and it's the easiest way to open anything on your Mac.

Press command-space and start typing. You can launch applications, documents, even emails, with a few keystrokes. Command-option-space launches a Finder window for searching.

But there are a few little known shortcuts that make Spotlight even more useful.

•  Use the kind: keyword to narrow down your search:
•  kind:audio
•  kind:folders
•  kind:app
•  kind:email
•  To find the location of a file, select it on the list then hit the Command key. The full directory will show up in the status bar. Command-R opens the file location (not the file)
•  You can look up definitions by typing a word
• Type
•  Use it as a calculator
•  Type 2 + 2
•  Convert units
•  Search for movie showtimes, weather, and places near me
•  Type movies
•  Type weather
•  Type drugstores
•  Search for flight information by entering the airline and flight number
•  United 30
•  Or a stock price
•  aapl
•  Search for contact information by typing a name

To limit the searches Spotlight can make, check the Spotlight system preferences. You can also change the key command.

If you like what spotlight can do, there's a third-party app, Alfred, that does even more!

https://www.alfredapp.com/

Leo Laporte gives you helpful tips to get the most from your Mac every week on Hands-On Mac

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Links

• Alfred