Quicksilver can be seen and used as a launcher. However, the same Quicksilver can be used as a file browser, a search engine, a widget or a contextual menu. It's hard to express in just a few words exactly what Quicksilver does, because it is a type of program designed with a new paradigm in mind. Quicksilver takes user interaction to a whole new level. In case you're curious, here is how it does it.

A New Approach To Human Interaction

When Quicksilver is activated via a key shortcut that you can set to your liking, it displays the main window which is essentially two, large icons one next to the other in the center of the screen. At this point if you type anything, Quicksilver will search through all your currently installed applications. The most relevant result is shown in the first icon well of the main window, with the other results in a floating column view below it. Using the arrow keys, you can move through those results up and down. And this is where it starts to get heavy, Quicksilver also acts as a file browser, and pressing the left key will take you to that application's folder from here on you can browse your files just like you would in the Finder's column view.

But it doesn't end here; you can "enter" certain applications by pressing the right arrow when you have them selected. iTunes is one such application and once you "enter" it you can browse artists, play lists, albums. Entering a song in the recently played list for example shows you a listing of the genre, artist and album, and from here you can keep browsing on and on. Did I forget to mention that the same light speed search function that it uses to find a program, based on the partial name you give it, also applies while browsing? I guess I did. It's a great way to browse, very fast, and very easy, especially if you have huge folders.

Now say you have a song selected from the previous browsing, by pressing tab you can switch focus to the second icon which is where the action takes place. By default, Quicksiver will automatically select what it deems is the most appropriate action for a certain file, like "Open" for programs or "Play" for songs. By pressing any of the arrow keys another column pops up, listing all the possible actions, and if for example you select "Open With" from the list, a third icon well will appear in the main window in which you can select the application to open it with.

All of this takes place at lightning speed once you get used to it and since the predictive searching takes place at all times it's very easy and natural to navigate. You can drag items into the Quicksilver interface, dropping them on applications or folders to have them opened in the application or moved or copied to the folder.

This is just a small sample, the little beast can be taught to do anything through plug-ins, which enable it to understand and interpret the content of items, and teach it new ways of interaction. From uploading files to a FTP server right from the Quicksilver interface, to emailing them to a friend or searching within a text document for specific word, you can do just about anything.

When Quicksilver is not in use it disappears until you summon it again. From the preferences you can choose to hide the dock icon and menus of the application so that it is totally invisible and out of the way until you need it. And when you do need it, it springs into action instantly. The program is extremely fast, just like its namesake and takes up very little resources.

In the end, I think the developers said it best: "Quicksilver has one very important effect: the effort of frequent tasks fades into the background and you are able to act without thinking. After an adaptation period, Quicksilver becomes an extension of yourself; the process fades away leaving only the results." They call this "Wei Wu Wei" or in English "Act Without Doing", and the program does just that.

The Good

Beautiful, fast, intuitive, incredibly useful. I really can't give it enough praise.

The Bad

Hard to find something bad about this program, but if anything I would say it is dangerously addictive.

The Truth

A superb application that once you start using, you just can't live without. Extremely well thought out and executed, easy to use, free... What more could you ask for.

Here are some pics of Quicksilver's interface, click to enlarge: