Alfred is a productivity app for macOS. Its features like hotkeys, keywords, and text expansion make you a more efficient Mac user. Alfred 3 is the latest version of this app. In this post, I am going to review Alfred and its add-on, Alfred Powerpack.
Alfred 3 is tailor-made for people who work on many different projects at the same time. Entrepreneurs, businessmen, artists, computer programmers, etc love and adore this app. It helps them keep their files and folders organized and accessible.
Alfred Powerpack can be integrated with macOS. It enables you to customize your Mac in an imaginative way. Powerpack is an extension to Alfred’s core functionality. You can explore the internet faster with higher accuracy.
It also integrates with popular search engines such as Google and YouTube. There are many such advanced features in Alfred powerpack that I will share with you in this post.
Running with Crayons Ltd is a software organization based in Cambridge, UK. They have been developing application software for Apple devices for a decade. Andrew Pepperrell and Vero Pepperrell founded Running with Crayons Ltd in 2010.
Both Andrew and Vero have years of experience in building and testing stunning user interfaces. Majority of their efforts are directed towards bettering the existing Apple software with the help of third-party apps like Alfred.
Table of Contents
In this section, let’s have a look at some of the key features of Alfred 3.
1) Search and browse with ease
This feature allows you to find files on your Mac with zero effort on your part. Constantly Switching tabs can slow your productivity. It can also be distracting. You might come across some other files on your computer which can hijack your attention. Alfred 3 shows you preview files that you frequently use. It intelligently prioritizes the search result as per your needs.
2) Save energy and time by typing less.
Every time you clear the cached file on your browser or disk, you lose all the previously accessed URLs. This can be irritating because you have to type the whole URL again or perform a Google search for it. Alfred solves your problem by saving all your history in its own folder. Moreover, to find local files like images or videos, you can use Clipboard History.
Alfred 3 can be upgraded with its add-on called Powerpack. Powerpack focuses on customization of the Mac. It is powered with the following features.
1) Snippets & auto-expansion
Snippets are shortcuts you can create for the frequently typed text. You can expand these snippets into their full-form by simple putting an exclamation mark followed by the snippet name. This not only saves time but also prevents typing errors. As you are more likely to make a mistake while performing a mundane repetitive task.
2) Built-in iTunes Mini Player
Alfred Powerpack is powered with an iTunes Mini Player. To listen to a song, all you have to do is type “itunes” in the text area provided by Alfred. Once the iTunes window opens, you can type in the name of the song, album or artist. You can use arrow keys to select your desired song or playlist. The complete process is mouse-free and takes only a few seconds.
What I like
I am impressed by how easy it is to find files and search the internet with Alfred. My Mac has millions of files and most of them are named poorly. So, by typing a few keywords from the name of the file I am searching for, Alfred suggests me all the files containing that keyword. And it shows the results in an easy-to-read dropdown list. The same process can be used to perform searches on the internet.
My recommendation
Alfred + Powerpack is one of the best productivity apps for macOS. Other apps like Spotlight or Quicksilver can do a decent job but only in comparison to Alfred 3 –not the combination of both. Alfred is much faster than any other app in this category. Plus, sharing your data is totally safe with Alfred. It is reputable and respected in the market.
Pricing
Alfred 3 has a free version. In comparison with the other similar apps in the market, you get a lot more features in the free version. I am sure there are some people who will be completely satisfied with the free version. But if you not one of those. Powerpack is available at only $ 29.69.
About Carson Derrow
