Alfred 2.0

Alfred is a search-and-launch utility with a variety of features. It operates from a bowler hat icon in the menubar, awaiting your hotkeyed command. Once summoned, it produces a floating search bar which can be used to launch virtually anything on your computer.

By default, Alfred is more focused on finding and opening files efficiently rather than searching comprehensively. It only searches for Applications and a couple other file formats unless specified by an alteration of the preferences or a search prefaced by the word "open". In addition to file search results, the free version can display calculator and dictionary lookups and web search results.

Pretty much everything about Alfred is customizable in the preferences panel, from the appearance of the search bar to the specific types of files and locations available in the results. There are some customizations which require the premium "Powerpack", a purchase neatly tucked away in its own tab for the most part, although the absent capabilities will make themselves known quickly enough if you start digging into the preferences.

Sam's Protip: Alfred's Workflow functionality, available with the Powerpack, can be a highly efficient way to automate tasks.