The Improved Help Menu
Friday, 9. November 2007, 01:54:04
The “Help” menu found in most Mac OS X application received a much needed update in Mac OS X Leopard. In every operating system the “Help” menu is pretty much beyond useless. The only real information ever listed in it that actually helps the end-user is the help file associated with the program, and even that is questionable as to how much it actually helps the user.
But, with Leopard, Apple put on their innovation caps as usual and added something to the help menu that has never been seen anywhere else before; and this is Spotlight. That’s right, the Apple implementation of instant search, which also received quite a few updates in Leopard, has been placed right into the menu system in applications to help the user not only more quickly locate the help documentation that he/she may be looking for, but also to help that user locate menu items.
That’s right, within the help menu you have a fully integrated menu search feature. Nothing like this has ever been done anywhere else before. Simply begin typing the name of the function you’re looking for, go down to it on the list of possible solutions that Spotlight presents and see it go right to that function you were looking for in the menus and point it out.
Now, in most applications, this probably won’t be helpful. But if you constantly use an application that is filled with menu items (like, say, Photoshop), this function is a Godsend. I personally love this feature because when I do editing in GIMP I often forget where some filters are, but with this I no longer have to spend a few seconds tediously going back and forth between menus to find the filter I’m looking for. I simply go to the help menu, type the general function of the filter, and let Spotlight find the filter for me
Well, that about finishes this blog, so check back with me tomorrow for another Apple-related article.
--DMXell
If you liked this post please consider subscribing to the RSS feed or, if you use the Opera web browser, using the widget button located in the address bar to make a widget out of this blog..
But, with Leopard, Apple put on their innovation caps as usual and added something to the help menu that has never been seen anywhere else before; and this is Spotlight. That’s right, the Apple implementation of instant search, which also received quite a few updates in Leopard, has been placed right into the menu system in applications to help the user not only more quickly locate the help documentation that he/she may be looking for, but also to help that user locate menu items.That’s right, within the help menu you have a fully integrated menu search feature. Nothing like this has ever been done anywhere else before. Simply begin typing the name of the function you’re looking for, go down to it on the list of possible solutions that Spotlight presents and see it go right to that function you were looking for in the menus and point it out.
Now, in most applications, this probably won’t be helpful. But if you constantly use an application that is filled with menu items (like, say, Photoshop), this function is a Godsend. I personally love this feature because when I do editing in GIMP I often forget where some filters are, but with this I no longer have to spend a few seconds tediously going back and forth between menus to find the filter I’m looking for. I simply go to the help menu, type the general function of the filter, and let Spotlight find the filter for me
Well, that about finishes this blog, so check back with me tomorrow for another Apple-related article.
--DMXell
If you liked this post please consider subscribing to the RSS feed or, if you use the Opera web browser, using the widget button located in the address bar to make a widget out of this blog..
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