First question, is there any way to disable Spotlight entirely?

I have never found any real use for Spotlight. Instead it is a pain in the butt. When I am typing, every once in a while I hit some key, or combination of keys by mistake and find myself typing in Spotlight and all kinds of stuff taking over my workspace, thus my wish to disable it entirely.

If I want anything found on my MBP, I go to finder>file>find which works great. If I want anything on the web, Google is my friend.

I can see no use either for the tiresome indexing that Spotlight does and hogs memory like crazy. I must be missing something, or am I?

I don't really notice Spotlight indexing at all and I mostly use it as an application launcher (I never could get the hang of Quicksilver's advanced features so I gave the boot). I guess it's more handy for people that like using their keyboard more than navigating through folders or menus.

You can always disable the keyboard shortcut or change it to something else.

Spotlight is the dumbest ever feature that Apple ever saddled any of their operating systems with. The only problem is that shutting it off clobbers the Find command in Finder. I can see no reason why anyone would want it - it is nothing more than big brotherism. Anyone that can keep things organized, and create useful file names will have no problem living without Spotlight - like, even if one uses the default folder structure that Apple already includes in OSX.

It is even more useless and more goofy than the dumb Google box garbage they stiff users with in Safari...

First question, is there any way to disable Spotlight entirely?

I have never found any real use for Spotlight. Instead it is a pain in the butt. When I am typing, every once in a while I hit some key, or combination of keys by mistake and find myself typing in Spotlight and all kinds of stuff taking over my workspace, thus my wish to disable it entirely.

If I want anything found on my MBP, I go to finder>file>find which works great. If I want anything on the web, Google is my friend.

I can see no use either for the tiresome indexing that Spotlight does and hogs memory like crazy. I must be missing something, or am I?
Well since Google is your friend, lets try the obvious and check with Google (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=os+x+snow+leopard+disable+spotlight)

I use spotlight all the time as an app launcher. I have 50+ programs on my mac, so it's a lot easier to just hit command+spacebar and type "compressor" to launch a program that I rarely use and don't have a dock icon for.

I dont have any issue with it, dont really use it a whole lot. It has come in handy looking for an obscure job that I didnt file properly. I knew some of the words in the pdf file, so searching for it brought it up very quickly. But if things are properly filed, there is no real need for it.

I use spotlight all the time as an app launcher. I have 50+ programs on my mac, so it's a lot easier to just hit command+spacebar and type "compressor" to launch a program that I rarely use and don't have a dock icon for.

So that's what I keep hitting by mistake (command+spacebar). Thanks, now I can try to avoid it.

You can use Onyx to disable Spotlight or there are also a series of Terminal commands.

In Tiger this works well except that you have to use a third party app like EasyFind to do file searches. EasyFind seems rather primitive compared to the elegant search engine found in Panther.

Leopard or Snow Leopard may be a bit more tricky. I have no idea how Spotlight and TimeMachine interact but suspect that the latter leans heavily on the former.

FWIW Tiger on older G4s and G3s is a lot zippier with Spotlight disabled. Ditto for Dashboard.

I use it to launch apps that I don't use that often via the Cmd Space bar plus the first few letters of the app name. far faster then using finder.

I use it to launch apps that I don't use that often via the Cmd Space bar plus the first few letters of the app name. far faster then using finder.

+1. Even easier than clicking an icon in the dock. And Spotlight seems to finally work well (using Snow Leopard here) and I barely ever notice the indexing. It's also great support for searching within apps that have bad native search capabilities, such as Entourage.

Add another vote for App launching. I like to keep my Dock uncluttered, so I use spotlight for that all the time. I do the same in windows 7 to find apps also.

Luc

I also use Spotlight 90% as an application launcher and about 10% of the time to find files.

I see no problem with it, and SINC, I seem to recall you talking about having a fairly recent MBP - so why is Spotlight bogging down your computer? I had an original MBP CoreDuo and it didn't bog down due to spotlight.

Nope never use it. For launching applications I use the dock and QuickSilver and for searches I use File Buddy which is way more powerful and customizable than Spotlight. I didn't even know you could disable Spotlight, now it is going to be one of the first things I do when I get home. :D

I sometimes think that those who complain about Spotlight have not taken the time to set up what they want to be indexed or excluded in System Preferences.
By default, Spotlight indexes all drives and folders which can possibly affect some systems negatively, and in most cases is not what the user needs.

I sometimes think that those who complain about Spotlight have not taken the time to set up what they want to be indexed or excluded in System Preferences.
By default, Spotlight indexes all drives and folders which can possibly affect some systems negatively, and in most cases is not what the user needs.

Could be true but then again there are others, like myself who just happen to prefer other third party products better. Some other people actually can do some things better than Apple programmers. ;)

I use it to find files and applications. You know, what it's made for. :rolleyes:

I sometimes think that those who complain about Spotlight have not taken the time to set up what they want to be indexed or excluded in System Preferences.

I don't want anything indexed, nor do I even want one scrap of Spotlight code on my system, or one sector of hard drive wasted on it or it's dumb database - so how can I exclude that without borking the Find command, or having to cobble together third party programs to do what pretty much every other OS is capable of doing?

As for using it to "load applications" - I don't know, it seems pretty lame to have one of the most advanced GUIs around, where with one or two mouse clicks, one can load any application, but instead, resort to some ancient DOS style method of loading things. All my Applications are on the right side in the Dock, and the ones I don't use that much are in two, easy to use folders within the Dock, where I can load things with the mouse in seconds, rather than the rigamarole of having to memorize application names, fancy resource wasting searching, and fooling around with some oddball keystroke combo just to get it to work.

For me, Spotlight is a pretty big deal breaker when it comes to OSX, along with offal like Dashboard, which is the ugliest bit of graphics I have ever seen this side of CoverFlow, or Vuze (with the new interface barf)...

App Launch - Nice and thin.....

Namely (http://amarsagoo.info/namely/)

Namely is possibly the fastest way to open applications. And unlike some other launchers, it doesn't require any learning.

You simply activate it using your preferred keyboard shortcut, start typing part of an application's name and see a list of matches as you type. Most of the time, one or two letters are enough. In fact, Namely learns your habits and makes your most-used apps even quicker to access over time. It's basically Spotlight for applications, only much faster, and highly addictive.

You can even program the key command to equal the spotlight command. (command+spacebar)

And then disable Spotlight with Spotless:

Spotless 2 information page (http://www.fixamacsoftware.com/software/spot2/)

Spotless is a simple utility designed to enable and disable Spotlight content indexing of volumes with the click of a button.

Spotlight content indexing can cause major slow-downs on volumes that are used for backup purposes, video rendering, Photoshop scratch disks, and a wide variety of tasks that involve the transfer of large amounts of data. Spotless can effectively and indefinitely disable the indexing of volumes that you specify. Even if the volume is a removable device, the indexing status is remembered when you remount it - even on a different computer!

Simply adding volumes to Spotlight's privacy list does not achieve the same results as using Spotless. You may cause the Metadata Server to crash, and the volumes may be indexed the next time you mount them. Also, while adding volumes to the privacy list disables content indexing, it also prevents you from finding the files by name.

Spotless allows you to delete existing Spotlight indexes. This will free up the space used by the index files on volumes that are no longer being indexed. You may also delete indexes on volumes that are being indexed. This will cause Spotlight to reindex the volume - especially useful if your index becomes damaged.

If you are having difficulties with Spotlight indexing, it could be because the ".Spotlight-V100" directory on the volume has become damaged in some way. Spotless provides a quick way to delete this directory and set the initial indexing status of the volume. In order to set the indexing status, the ".Spotlight-V100" directory will be recreated.

Spotless will automatically find and delete the "mds-crash-state" file from selected volumes. The file may be created if the Metadata Server crashed or was unexpectedly closed during the indexing process. The presence of this file can prevent Spotlight from indexing the volume in the future.

Spotless allows you to see exact size of the index directory on each volume.

Spotless also includes an on/off switch for Spotlight.
Please note that if you turn Spotlight off completely, searching will not be available until Spotlight is turned back on. This includes the "find" functionality of the Finder. You should only disable Spotlight if you really do not want Spotlight running on your computer.

I also use Spotlight 90% as an application launcher and about 10% of the time to find files.

I see no problem with it, and SINC, I seem to recall you talking about having a fairly recent MBP - so why is Spotlight bogging down your computer? I had an original MBP CoreDuo and it didn't bog down due to spotlight.

Uh, I do have more than one Mac you know. ;)

While the MBP, new in April is no problem, the same doesn't apply to the Mini and especially not the eMac.

I use Spotless 3 information page (http://www.fixamacsoftware.com/software/spot3/index.php)

Works like a charm.

I don't want anything indexed, nor do I even want one scrap of Spotlight code on my system, or one sector of hard drive wasted on it or it's dumb database - so how can I exclude that without borking the Find command, or having to cobble together third party programs to do what pretty much every other OS is capable of doing?

Wait, you want to exclude the OS's built-in search feature, but don't want to install a 3rd party search program because the OS should be capable of searching in the first place? You're blowing my mind, man.

I'm not sure why some people are troubled by an indexed database taking up space on their system. It's a small price to pay for faster search results. I only wish Spotlight was a little faster. Apple could learn a thing or two from Google.

Wait, you want to exclude the OS's built-in search feature, but don't want to install a 3rd party search program because the OS should be capable of searching in the first place?

The thing I am opposed to is having an OS of any sort automatically generate a database of the contents of the files on a system - that is big brotherism. The original Find function did not probe the contents of the files, just the file names themselves - which is a handy feature if something ends up misplaced.

Spotlight is an example of a "feature" that was forced down people's throats for no other reason than to have something that Windoze doesn't have. Same with sucky "features" like Widgets, the Dashboard and Stacks, which really work to diminish the quality and looks of OSX by burping up some of the ugliest garbage imaginable, and make an impressive array of those things that detract from the user experience.

I use it to launch apps, find files and more importantly look up contact details in address book. I found Quicksilver too complicated to learn, plus (in response to EvanPitts), I am disorganised, so Spotlight is a godsend. I hate organising files into folder structures. I have to do it on my work laptop (Windows), so I am happy not to have to do it at home on my Mac.

Cheers

I use it for launching programs, finding files, and as a calculator. It's great.

I think it has gotten to be less intrusive with Snow Leopard than with Leopard.

I am fine with spotlight. I find it more desirable than a standard search because it indexes. First, if I forgot the file name, I can generally find it based on subject matter. Also, indexing seems to reduce search time considerably, atleast compared on windows machine (Tiger was first mac used. Windows search versus a index search on windows.).

I find EP is being rather melodramatic with his big brotherism comment.

I use Spotless 3 information page (http://www.fixamacsoftware.com/software/spot3/index.php)

Works like a charm.

Search features worked fine in Panther without the need to index content. If you wanted to waste time and disk space you could index and you could even control what time the indexing ran.

FWIW content indexing "features" were available all the way back to at least OS 8.6 however computers of that era were simply to slow to take full advantage.

I would have no problem with Spotlight if you could just turn off content indexing and still be able to search for your files by name or date created, modified etc.

Sadly even Spotless fails to accomplish what every previous Mac OS did by default.

I use it as a launcher. I have soo many applications on my computers that I keep it clean now and use spotlight to launch. Hit "Command + SpaceBar" then usually first two letters of the app and hit enter to open.

I use it to launch apps. I also use it to search for documents, find addresses etc.On my Macs it's fast and reliable. I prefer keyboard to mice and have tried a bunch of other launch and search options. Spotlight works for my needs.

I wouldn't say I never use it, but I find it is not a great find utility. The original Sherlock was much more powerful and useful.

I use spotlight all the time... I do not know how you could think it is the dumbest feature Apple implemented in their operating system. It is extremely useful. I use it all of the time when I am doing work and/or school work.

Hit cmd+space and type in a word you do not know the meaning for, the dictionary is usually the first choice. Hit enter and there; you have the definition and thesaurus for that one word.

Hit cmd+space and do math with it. I use it all of the time for multiplication, addition, subtraction etc...

Too lazy to go find that application? Cmd+space and type it in, hit enter and it opens...

Spotlight is extremely useful in my mind, it is probably one of the features I use the most...

The #1 thing I don't like about Spotlight is the ugly blue menu UI that Apple has chosen for it and other searches. It is completely inconsistent with the rest of OS X. Give me a regular looking menu and I'll be happy.

The #2 thing I don't like is somebody can sit down in front of your machine while logged into your account and find absolutely every frickin' thing way way way too easily.

disable Spotlight with Spotless
Much cheaper to type the following commands into Snow Leopard terminal window:

sudo mdutil -a -i off
sudo mdutil -E

....
Too lazy to go find that application? Cmd+space and type it in, hit enter and it opens...


Could do that in Panther as well with Command F. Again this does not require live content indexing. Nor did any of your other "uses".

Actually I don't believe I have seen one person say they type in a short phrase or keyword they remember using in a recent document. That is the only thing that actually requires content indexing. All the other uses can be accomplished with much less overhead.

Spotlight as an app launcher - I never thought of that.

It works great, thanks guys!

At the risk of sounding like a drooling Apple cultist, it never ceases to amaze me how many useful little functions I keep finding out about in OSX, after using it pretty extensively for many years.

I use Spotlight when I miss the SPOD. I hear Launchbar is good...

I don't like it - horrid interface and it never holds spacing,

I do use it for searching emails where I need a better search than mail.

I'd likely lose it but Mail won't search without it and it comes in useful from time to time but the interface is a non starter for me. Indexing is annoying but only when I do a rebuild with Onyx.

EasyFind does what I want.

I've never really used Spotlight, but, after this discussion, I might.

Actually I don't believe I have seen one person say they type in a short phrase or keyword they remember using in a recent document. That is the only thing that actually requires content indexing.

You are right, and I apologize for my tardiness.

I often type in a key word or phrase in order to find a document - not only recent, but older documents too. Very helpful.

I love Spotlight. I use it mostly as an app launcher, and sometimes to find documents.

I love Spotlight. I use it mostly as an app launcher, and sometimes to find documents.

Ditto. I use it frequently myself. If there's a search string that I use frequently, I just create a smart folder to save time.

However, due to the nature of a lot of programs that I use (graphic, 3d, etc.) I changed the shortcut for Spotlight to a slightly more convoluted command to ensure I don't invoke it by mistake: CTRL+OPT+CMD+SPACE.

Actually I don't believe I have seen one person say they type in a short phrase or keyword they remember using in a recent document. That is the only thing that actually requires content indexing. All the other uses can be accomplished with much less overhead.

I didn't mention it in my earlier post, but this is what I use Spotlight for all the time. I do a lot of research and writing and am constantly referring back to old articles, previous reports, etc. I'm a fairly organized person, but I'm amazed at the number of times that I have "found" things from the recent or distant past that are relevant to what I am currenlty working on.

I use it to find files and applications. You know, what it's made for. :rolleyes:

+1

SINC and others should definitely go into the prefs and add external drives or any folders you DON'T want indexed to the "privacy" panel. After that, Spotlight is generally a joy to use to help me find things from the very slightest of hints.

Additionally, one of the things I use it for is "Smart Searches" aka "Smart Folders." I use these extensively in iTunes, iPhoto, Mail and even in the Finder. You would be AMAZED to see how many different criteria you can use to set up for a Smart folder, I'll give you just a couple of examples:

"Show all the pictures taken in this date range, with this camera, at these ISO settings, with the flash off."

"Show all Microsoft Word documents concerning 'Project X' that have been modified in the last month."

Again, just the tip of the iceberg of usefulness.

+1

SINC and others should definitely go into the prefs and add external drives or any folders you DON'T want indexed to the "privacy" panel. After that, Spotlight is generally a joy to use to help me find things from the very slightest of hints.

Here's an illustration of just how well Spotlight works for me. This morning I put a file called "computer.gif" shown in a folder on my desktop here:

http://gallery.me.com/plmnice/100073/file2/web.jpg?ver=12560520360001

I just did a search using "computer" as the keyword for that file as a test and here is the result. Spotlight can't even find it:

http://gallery.me.com/plmnice/100073/file1/web.jpg?ver=12560520330001

Perfect illustration of why content indexing is inefficient. Wastes resources keeping the index current AND needlessly clutters the search results. Indexing should be available to those that need to avail themselves of this feature. Those that don't need it should be able to disable content indexing without disabling the rest of the search engine.

Here's an illustration of just how well Spotlight works for me. This morning I put a file called "computer.gif" shown in a folder on my desktop here:

http://gallery.me.com/plmnice/100073/file2/web.jpg?ver=12560520360001

I just did a search using "computer" as the keyword for that file as a test and here is the result. Spotlight can't even find it:

http://gallery.me.com/plmnice/100073/file1/web.jpg?ver=12560520330001

^^^
+1

I agree - Spotlight should just be an option, just like other stuff that comes with OSX. iTunes, iPhoto, Mail, Safari, etc. are entirely optional, and one can choose whether to use them or not, without any problems. So why does Apple insist that users get stiffed with Spotlight or Dashboard - when it would be entirely fine if they were optional, just like other OSX applications?

It seems to me that Apple does it because they know that people will use iTunes, iPhoto, etc. even if they are optional because they are also good - while stuff like Spotlight or Widgets might go unused and forgotten by most people who could care less for them.

Why can't they just leave Find in the Finder? It would be like making a restriction that forced me to use Mail, even though I might actually perfer Thunderbird or something. If it is optional, then those that like it can go gung-ho; while those that do not like it can move forward and do their things. I think it is a sad state when Apple holds a gun to the user's head and says that either you use dome ill conceived slop that we force upon you, or you can just go run Windoze or something...

Here's an illustration of just how well Spotlight works for me. This morning I put a file called "computer.gif" shown in a folder on my desktop ... <snip>
I just did a search using "computer" as the keyword for that file as a test and here is the result.

A rigged test, I would say.

Try doing that exact same search using cmd-F (which is also Spotlight) rather than the "show top 10 results" menubar icon. Click on the "date modified" column. It will find it just fine.

Or try naming the file zylo.gif instead of a term used over 1,000,000 times in the files of your hard drive. Oh look, surprise surprise, even the "top 10" search finds it! Whaddyaknow!

:rolleyes:

Once again we demonstrate that people who complain about Spotlight/the Dock/Expose just don't really understand it or how to use it.

A rigged test, I would say.

Try doing that exact same search using cmd-F (which is also Spotlight) rather than the "show top 10 results" menubar icon. Click on the "date modified" column. It will find it just fine.

Or try naming the file zylo.gif instead of a term used over 1,000,000 times in the files of your hard drive. Oh look, surprise surprise, even the "top 10" search finds it! Whaddyaknow!

How is it rigged? Sinc was just looking for a file - and Spotlight entirely failed, where Find would have nailed it in seconds without the nonsense.

One has to love the fact that in order for Spotlight to find anything in a decent amount of time, one has to resort to using oddball and hard to remember names. Like, oh, I want that computer picture, so what was the same, oh, I think it was zylo.gif or something.

I do not think Sinc had any problems with Expose or the Dock; nor do I...

A rigged test, I would say.

Try doing that exact same search using cmd-F (which is also Spotlight) rather than the "show top 10 results" menubar icon. Click on the "date modified" column. It will find it just fine.

Or try naming the file zylo.gif instead of a term used over 1,000,000 times in the files of your hard drive. Oh look, surprise surprise, even the "top 10" search finds it! Whaddyaknow!

:rolleyes:

Once again we demonstrate that people who complain about Spotlight/the Dock/Expose just don't really understand it or how to use it.

First may I say that I resent being accused of rigging a test. It was simply a file I created a couple of hours beforehand which happened to be fresh in my mind. And now for the result using your method. As you can see from the screen shot I used command f as suggested and it still will not find the file. See the result below for yourself. Note that it does find the computer.cwk file I created at the same time as the computer.gif file, both in the same file folder. Also note it found 1,079 items, none of which are the file wanted. Pretty darn lame I would say.

http://gallery.me.com/plmnice/100073/file3/web.jpg?ver=12560626160001

First may I say that I resent being accused of rigging a test. It was simply a file I created a couple of hours beforehand which happened to be fresh in my mind. And now for the result using your method. As you can see from the screen shot I used command f as suggested and it still will not find the file. See the result below for yourself. Note that it does find the computer.cwk file I created at the same time as the computer.gif file, both in the same file folder. Also note it found 1,079 items, none of which are the file wanted. Pretty darn lame I would say.

http://gallery.me.com/plmnice/100073/file3/web.jpg?ver=12560626160001Therein lies the problem. Spotlight's menu doesn't immediately allow the average user to search for files by their name vs. files by their contents. SINC's second example shows options to refine their search to get better results. Spotlight is dumb as it is intelligent.

Users can assign attributes by command in the upper Spotlight menu, but it's not intuitive, nor readily accessible. Until you read through the Spotlight Help will you know about them... not exactly Mac-like, is it?

Don't use it, ever.

If I want to load software that isn't in the dock, I'll go to Apple->Recent Items. Pretty good chance it's there, I've got it geared to remember the last 20 items.

If I want to search for something, it's command-F. And, that's damn flaky as far as which monitor it's going to open in. I'd like it to open on the RH monitor all the time, but will do so only if there is another window open in the RH monitor. If there is not a window open on the RH screen then it automatically opens in the LH monitor. Bloody annoying...

Don't use it, ever.

Yeah, that's pretty much my experience. Perhaps the most flakey Apple invention ever. :ptptptptp

Once again we demonstrate that people who complain about Spotlight/the Dock/Expose just don't really understand it or how to use it.

I totally agree. This is the only place where I've seen so much hate for Spotlight. I don't think I'd be able to get anything done at work without using Spotlight on our server at work. There so many files and you can make it as organized as you want but it'd still take too much time to find anything.

I wonder how many people know that the underlying Unix system already indexes all your files daily?

Don't use it, ever.

If I want to load software that isn't in the dock, I'll go to Apple->Recent Items. Pretty good chance it's there, I've got it geared to remember the last 20 items.

If I want to search for something, it's command-F. And, that's damn flaky as far as which monitor it's going to open in. I'd like it to open on the RH monitor all the time, but will do so only if there is another window open in the RH monitor. If there is not a window open on the RH screen then it automatically opens in the LH monitor. Bloody annoying...
As chas_m stated earlier "Once again we demonstrate that people who complain about Spotlight/the Dock/Expose just don't really understand it or how to use it."
Not only that, but they do not even know when they are using it, case in point, command-F opens a Spotlight window, same window as alt+cmd+spacebar.
So FeXL, you do use it... Spotlight that is.

Here's an illustration of just how well Spotlight works for me. This morning I put a file called "computer.gif" shown in a folder on my desktop here:

http://gallery.me.com/plmnice/100073/file2/web.jpg?ver=12560520360001

I just did a search using "computer" as the keyword for that file as a test and here is the result. Spotlight can't even find it:

http://gallery.me.com/plmnice/100073/file1/web.jpg?ver=12560520330001

Well I just made an image of an equation in Preview and placed it on my desktop... It was found perfectly in Spotlight the first time. I use Spotlight all of the time and I find that it is a great feature...

I totally agree. This is the only place where I've seen so much hate for Spotlight. I don't think I'd be able to get anything done at work without using Spotlight on our server at work. There so many files and you can make it as organized as you want but it'd still take too much time to find anything.

I wonder how many people know that the underlying Unix system already indexes all your files daily?

Files yes content no. You can run the Unix "Find" command without indexing file contents unless of course you wish to search the contents.

FWIW The find window in iTunes 8/Tiger works perfectly even if you have Spotlight disabled. Sadly this is not true for the regular find function even though the files themselves are as you mentioned thoroughly indexed by the OS.

As a DJ, producer, and live performance artist I find Spotlight essential when digging through potentially tens of thousands of tunes and samples, especially when I'm running multiple programs (ie. Serato Scratch Live and Ableton Live simultaneously) and don't feel like flipping through the internal crates. All my tunes and samples are quite well organized; Spotlight just makes them easier to find (ie. type in "dry snare" and I get a list of "dry" snare drum folders and samples.) With Automap running on some of my MIDI controllers I can even tap a key or button, bring up Spotlight, type in what I'm looking for, and scroll through the results with a knob or slider. A solid search utility is essential for any performance artist or DJ (the internal searches of both SSL and Live are great, but it gets tricky running both instances on multiple laptops while also managing two turntables and two CDJs and a mixer.)

I don't see where all the hate is coming from. I find it hogs very little resources. As long as it's not bogging down the entire system, I'm not too concerned if it brings up extraneous files now and then.

As chas_m stated earlier "Once again we demonstrate that people who complain about Spotlight/the Dock/Expose just don't really understand it or how to use it."
Not only that, but they do not even know when they are using it, case in point, command-F opens a Spotlight window, same window as alt+cmd+spacebar.
So FeXL, you do use it... Spotlight that is.

Don't use it in the sense of clicking on the blue magnifying glass in the menu bar. I don't like the Spotlight interface.

While I'm not crazy about the command-F (Find) interface, I find it less annoying, even though it can't make up it's mind which monitor it's going to open on.

Yes, I do know that both interfaces access the same Mac search function.

FWIW, I just tried your "alt+cmd+spacebar" tip and my Mac just stared back at me (although I wonder why I'd press a 3 key combo to replace a 2 key combo...). Care to guess again?

_____

I also find that the whole search engine can be slow. There are times when I'll enter the search parameter and the little clock will whiz around for 5 or 10 seconds or more (no it's not indexing, I've checked). Sure, I'm accessing lots of files, but I never have to wait that long on Google, which searches a helluva lot more. Not only that, but Google is also providing guesses while I'm entering the search parameters.

I also dislike that the software doesn't recall "last used" settings like, say, the last size and position of the window.

Have you ever had success searching for a partial word? I haven't. Say I've files from a modeling session named "blue dressxx", "red dressxx" and "purple dressxx" where the xx's represent files numbered from 1 to whatever. All I want to do is search for the images of the purple dress. On OS 8, what I would enter for the search parameter is 'le dre' (purp"le dre"ss) and all the hits would come up. Maybe I want to search for all instances of "dress", whether the parameter stands alone or is part of a larger phrase. Could do it in 8. Haven't been able to do that since 10.3 (don't know about earlier versions of X).

Big deal? Sometimes. If I happen to have lots of files or folders with very similar names it means that I need to enter the complete search phrase and then wade through what may be several hundred images in order to find the set I'm looking for. Perhaps I'll even need to perform several searches in order to find everything I'm looking for.

There really isn't a major pissmeoff as far as the Mac search engine is concerned. It's all the annoying niggles that get in my face on a daily basis. There really are times that it comes across as beta software from a usability standpoint.

While I haven't looked at after market solutions, maybe I need to.

Well I just made an image of an equation in Preview and placed it on my desktop... It was found perfectly in Spotlight the first time. I use Spotlight all of the time and I find that it is a great feature...
Why would you use Spotlight to find a file that is right on your Desktop? Sounds like using a steam driven pile driver to set a brad into a picture frame kind of overkill...

I don't think I'd be able to get anything done at work without using Spotlight on our server at work. There so many files and you can make it as organized as you want but it'd still take too much time to find anything.

That is entirely bogus. My girlfriend's work place has hundreds of thousands of documents on their server - all easily found in moments because of standardized file and folder naming practices, and they don't have Spotlight.

This is also not the point. The point is that Applications like Spotlight should be entirely optional and up to the user or administrator - just like other Applications that come with OSX, like iPhoto, iTunes, iChat, etc. It shouldn't be forced down anyones throat. Power users that are organized simply do not need the waste of resources and annoyances of Spotlight; while other people use it to launch Applications because they haven't figured out how to put the Applications folder into the Dock. They shouldn't have ever removed the proper Find command - there is no need to remove it.

If OSX had Find, and Spotlight was entirely optional, I don't think there would be a debate or the level of dissatisfaction with what amounts to be the same tactics used by Micro$lop on their OS, stiffing people with garbage they don't want without severe compromises to the usability of the system.

I wonder how many people know that the underlying Unix system already indexes all your files daily?

I have never seen any UNIX system "index all files daily". There may be utilities that do it, perhaps even ones that can be loaded at boot time - but the OS itself does not insist or require it.

FWIW, I just tried your "alt+cmd+spacebar" tip and my Mac just stared back at me (although I wonder why I'd press a 3 key combo to replace a 2 key combo...). Care to guess again?
_____

Have you ever had success searching for a partial word? I haven't. Say I've files from a modeling session named "blue dressxx", "red dressxx" and "purple dressxx" where the xx's represent files numbered from 1 to whatever. All I want to do is search for the images of the purple dress. On OS 8, what I would enter for the search parameter is 'le dre' (purp"le dre"ss) and all the hits would come up. Maybe I want to search for all instances of "dress", whether the parameter stands alone or is part of a larger phrase. Could do it in 8. Haven't been able to do that since 10.3 (don't know about earlier versions of X).
"alt+cmd+spacebar is the default setting in System Preferences-Keyboard.
and should work unless you have changed something.
http://homepage.mac.com/jabarley/.public/spot.jpg

I always have success searching for partial words, I have many photos and emails pertaining to woodturned articles, all of which are numbered pieces and named.
Part of the name ie: map for maple, sal or bo for salad bowl, bur for burl, fidd for fiddleback, you see the picture here, will find all photos, articles and emails, even contacts in my address book if I have entered notes on such.
The same works for just a part of the serial numbers.

You must be on a newer OS (Tiger here), my prefs doesn't show that. Neither here nor there, I don't use it anyways.

Just for the heck of it, I opened up a number of randomly chosen folders with subfolders, images, etc and conducted some searches using partial folder & file names. Used both Spotlight and Find interfaces. Some were found, others not. Usually not. Sometimes differing results between the two interfaces. Yet I'm looking at the names onscreen.

Again, it goes to consistency, which it most definitely is not.

Maybe things are more wonderful in Leopard & SL land, I don't know. But in Tiger, and previously Panther, there are issues.

The point Evan and I have been trying to make is that content indexing, that is indexing the actual contents of every file is utilized by perhaps 10% Mac Owners. The rest pay for this feature with awkward cluttered searches, slow external unmounts and delayed shutdowns or log-outs as Spotlight struggles to complete its eternal indexing.

Since content indexing is completely unrelated to typical name, date or extension searches, Apple should offer the ability to disable content indexing while continuing to allow normal searches. You could choose whether or not to use content indexing in OS 8.6, OS 9, and OS X all the way through Panther so Apple does know how to toggle it on and off while leaving normal search parameters fully functional.

Those who need to search by content would of course be able to do so by leaving content indexing on.

You must be on a newer OS (Tiger here), my prefs doesn't show that. Neither here nor there, I don't use it anyways.

Maybe things are more wonderful in Leopard & SL land, I don't know. But in Tiger, and previously Panther, there are issues.
Your Preferences in Tiger are different but they still will show "alt+cmd+space" as a second way to call Spotlight.

Yes things are "more wonderful" in the Leopard versions, I think they call that "progress",
BTW, Panther had no issues with Spotlight for obvious reasons.

Your Preferences in Tiger are different but they still will show "alt+cmd+space" as a second way to call Spotlight.

No they don't. They show command+space and F1, only.

Yes things are "more wonderful" in the Leopard versions, I think they call that "progress",
BTW, Panther had no issues with Spotlight for obvious reasons.

<sigh> No, but the same glaring errors & consistency issues were apparent in the Mac search function in Panther. Apple has merely slapped a different name on it and not bothered to fix many underlying issues. So much for progress.

I'm done here.

This was a quick search of the main volume for a known desktop item in Panther. Took a couple of seconds on an old eMac. Not sure why anyone would consider Spotlights layout to be an improvement.

10846

Probably not a good time for Zombies to rise but I do have a reason.

For those that do prefer disabling Spotlight, there is now a third party search engine "FindAnyFile".

Thomas Tempelmann - Applications - Find Any File (http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/)

Much better than EasyFind and works all the way back to Tiger PPC. Still not quite the elegant set-up as found in Panther but much better than Spotlight for routine searches.