Mac Productivity Masterclass Alfred

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Tags: Mac Basics

A comprehensive course on using Alfred for Mac covering the Free and Powerpack Versions

Last updated 2022-01-10 | 4.5

- Why Alfred is a top productivity app on the Mac
- The benefits of the Free version of Alfred
- The fastest way to launch Applications on the Mac

What you'll learn

Why Alfred is a top productivity app on the Mac
The benefits of the Free version of Alfred
The fastest way to launch Applications on the Mac
How to do lightning fast searches online
What a clipboard manager is and how to leverage it for productivity
How to work efficiently with files and email
Ideas to leverage text expansion snippets for speed and productivity
Adding Custom Workflows to Alfred to infinitely expand it's usefulness

* Requirements

* A Mac running a recent version of OS X or macOS
* Basic working knowledge of the Mac
* The Free version of Alfred
* Half of the course is based on the Alfred PowerPack
* A 1 Password subscription is optional

Description

If I could only have one productivity app on the Mac, it would be Alfred. Alfred seems like a Spotlight replacement, and it is. But it does so much more. We'll look at all the features of the Free version of Alfred. Then we will dive into the PowerPack and get the most out of every feature that Alfred offers. Finally we'll learn how to customize and extend Alfred with. Workflows. This course will cover basically every feature of Alfred.

Who this course is for:

  • Beginning Mac users looking to learn how to use the Mac more efficiently
  • Novice Mac users who are looking for a simple way to boost productivity
  • Mac users who want to master some keyboard shortcuts
  • Mac App Enthusiasts

Course content

3 sections • 16 lectures

Introduction 1 lectures

Introduction Preview 01:43

Here's what we'll cover in this Alfred masterclass:

  • Searching for Apps, Files, Websites, 
& More

  • Other Free Features

  • Working with Contacts

  • Clipboard Manager

  • Text expansion

  • File Actions and the Buffer

  • Mini Music Player

  • 1Password Integration

  • Terminal Integration

  • Getting started with Custom Workflows

  • Customizing Alfred with Themes

Using the Free Version of Alfred 4 lectures

Setting up Alfred and Launching Apps Preview 04:30

In this lesson, we will setup Alfred and see it's most used feature, launching applications.

Working with Files Part 1 Preview 01:43

In this lesson, we will learn how Alfred searches for files, how to use quicklook with Alfred, and how to open files faster than lightning.

Searching the Web Preview 07:01

In this lesson, we will:

  • See how Alfred can search websites

  • Find all the built in web searches

  • Create your own custom web searches

  • Backup and Share your custom web searches

More Free Features Preview 02:50

In this lesson we will look at a number of smaller features included in the Free version of Alfred:

  • Making Calculations

  • Launching your web browser's bookmarks

  • Looking up words in the Dictionary

  • Quick System Functions

PowerPack Alfred Users 11 lectures

Installing the PowerPack and Working with Contacts Preview 03:57

In this lesson we will:

  • Activate the PowerPack

  • Learn how to work with Contacts

  • Learn how to display text in large type

  • Send an email with just a few keys

  • Copy information from our contact cards efficiently

Using the Clipboard Manager Preview 06:57

In this lesson we will:

  • Learn the basics of a clipboard manager

  • Configure Alfred to manage our clippings

  • Review the shortcuts for getting clippings

  • Add to the clipboard with the Merge feature

  • Setup privacy settings for apps we don't want to be a part of the clipboard manager

Text Expansion with Snippets Preview 08:35

In this lesson we will:

  • Consider the benefits of Text Expansion

  • Download ready made packs of Snippets

  • Run through examples of commonly used snippets

  • Customize a Rich Text snippet

  • Experience placeholders in an Email template

  • See how to do Text Manipulation with some clipboard snippets

My Demo Snippets are included in the external resources section of this lesson.

Creating a snippet from scratch Preview 01:11

A Quick lesson on creating a snippet from scratch.

Working with Files Part 2 Preview 03:51

In this lesson we will:

  • Explore the PowerPack's upgrade to files searching

  • Customize the File Actions you can use with files

  • Learn the keyboard shortcuts to add files to the File Buffer

Additional Features of the PowerPack Preview 03:30

In this lesson we will:

  • Explore the mini media player

  • Setup 1Password to work with Alfred

  • Login to websites using 1Password and Alfred

  • Quickly run shell commands in the Terminal through Alfred

Installing Custom Workflows Preview 03:07

In this lesson we will:

  • Are introduced to Custom Workflows

  • Explore the Alfred Forums, Packal, and Pacmax as websites with Workflows

  • Install a downloaded workflow

  • Refer to screencastsonline.com for a full treatment of creating workflows

Question- Do you want a lesson on creating custom workflows from scratch?

Creating a Workflow from scratch Preview 02:04

A quick example on creating a workflow from scratch.

Creating (slightly) more advanced workflows Preview 12:35

Ideas to create more powerful workflows.

Final Lesson: Customizing Alfred with Themes Preview 04:22

In this lesson we will:

  • Take a look at the built in themes Alfred comes with

  • Duplicate a theme

  • Customize a theme from scratch

  • Export the Theme to a file for backup purposes

  • Upload the Theme to Alfredapp.com to share with the community

Thanks for joining me for this Masterclass. Join me in the next one...

Downloading a Theme from Alfred's Website Preview 00:46

A Quick add-on lesson on how to download and install a theme from Alfred's website.