It just doesn’t have the rich workflow system that alfred has. 
What if I run two launchers? Do you think it will be a big deal on cpu and the system?
@nikivi, since you use both alfred and KM, may I ask you this:
What do alfred workflows offer that KM does not?
Anyone else use both alfred and KM? Your thoughts?
A lot. I mean really a lot.
Here are just a few : http://i.imgur.com/M7qhxE2.gif
It seems to brake off after a while, but here is more : http://i.imgur.com/igtO1Bg.gif
They offer a great interface to see results from scripts and make actions on them. I use km for specific bindable actions that need no text output to work on. Alfred is fast and the power it has as a launcher is really incredible since so many workflows are free to use. Using KM and Alfred together though is amazing and that is what I want to do by making the km macros I have show on Alfred according to the active window.
When Alfred came out I used it a lot, but I always found its workflow system rather clumsy and unintuitive. For short bash or AppleScripts it’s maybe better than LB’s plugin architecture, but these things I can do quicker with KM or even Typinator.
That being said, I still haven’t looked closely at the new Alfred 3 version (even though I have that “Mega” license ;-)) Time to do it, someday…
Perhaps I am mistaken, but most of what you show in the animated GIF looks more like searching and launching stuff, which is what I use LaunchBar for.
KM is so powerful and flexible, I can’t image a workflow that you create in Alfred that could not also be created in KM, perhaps simpler and better.
For example, I have a multipurpose Google Search that does all this from one hotkey:
- IF some text is selected, use it
- IF not, select text from current text cursor to end of line
- IF text is web URL, open it
- IF text is Non-Web URL, open it in default provider
- Otherwise, do a standard google search on the text
Some other very complex KM macros:
- Apply standard styles to Evernote text
- Insert AppleScript commands that have lots of options
- Create rich text and plain text hyperlinks from:
(I use this many times a day.)- web page
- selected text on web page
- link on web page
- Auto-select all of the text in a forum post, or code block, and get the post data (author, URL, post date, etc), and then use it to create a note or document in many other apps (like Evernote & Quiver).
@DanThomas has built and published some truly incredible macros/workflows that are complete systems.
LaunchBar not only opens apps, it opens many other things, including specific URLs in a specific browser. For example I have these LB shortcuts:
- KM – opens Keyboard Maestro app
- KMF – opens KM forum in Chrome
- KMW – opens KM wiki in chrome
- SP – opens Mac System Prefs
I have LB shortcuts that are 2 or 3 char, which are very intuitive to me (like the above “KM” shortcuts), to open apps I use commonly.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not knocking Alfred. I’m sure it’s a great tool. I just happen to think KM is better. 
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That’s true, it seems the Alfred community is producing way more workflows than LB’s. On the other hand, LB has so many stuff out of the box…
Btw, just tried out LB. How do I open and quit the LB dialog box on same hotkey? Right now I need to press esc to quit it.
I also use the Escape key. It’s fine for me, I mean, that key is dedicated to dismiss stuff 
Using the same key combo to dismiss the LB window would be conflicting:
Many people are using ⌘Space as the LB hotkey. And, once the LB window is on the screen, Space as well as ⌘Space gain a different, special meaning:
Space: Depends on the item in focus, for example…
- Internet search query, iTunes, App Store: Opens a text field, where you can type in the search string
- Mail, Twitter: lets you type in the message text for a new mail/tweet
- Safari: shows you the bookmarks
- Keyboard Maestro: lists all KM macros
- Terminal: lets you type in a command
- Most other apps: lists recent documents
⌘Space: Shows you a list with the recent apps launched via LB
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Hey Michael,
Can you share please this google search macro. It seems really powerful and useful.
Thank you.
Sure. It may take me a day or so to get it cleaned up as I'm in the middle of writing another complicated macro.
Tom are you actually typing a left bracket and option 8 to get that shortcut? I use launchbar too so i am always curious how others are using it.
I am running all of them (Spotlight, Hazel, LaunchBar, Keyboard Maestro, KeyCue, Typinator) and have not noticed a hit on performance. I can't say how much of a hit Alfred imposes because I am not using it.
With regards to workflow richness. Have you read the documentation or watched any video on LaunchBar?
Alfred is all about interface and that's certainly nice but LaunchBar gets extremely deep and it's not obvious if you don't dig deeper. It's also got an small footprint with regards to GUI.
No, just ⌥➔
If you click on the focussed item you get a contextual menu with all the shortcuts:
Ah... I see there's some diffences in the newest version of LaunchBar. I still haven't updated.
@Tom, how can you let this happen!?!?! LOL
How will you educate/train me on LB if you're not up-to-date?
Any good LB videos (aside from the std ones LB produces) that you'd suggest for me?
I am guessing there's a private joke there I don't know about. 
Youtube is your friend. Just search. More vids everyday so it pays to return and search again days/weeks later.
Yep. @Tom introduced me to LB, and has been kind enough to provide numerous examples of use.
You're preaching to the choir here. OTOH, both Youtube and the Internet is full of garbage.
I'm looking for curated videos.
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Ok, Well now that I know you are interested I will see what I can curate for you.
Here's two by good sources. I haven't watched them though but do give me your opinion so I can tune the curation.
Thanks for your help. But, to be clear, they cannot be curated if you have not watched them. 
In trying to clarify what I meant "curated", I did some searching, and was surprised by the many different definitions of this term. Here is the one that I meant, that applies here:
Curated
select, organize, and present (online content, merchandise, information, etc.), typically using professional or expert knowledge.
So, I am selfishly asking for suggestions that others have found (by their own review/viewing) to be good sources of LaunchBar instructional videos.
Thanks.