2026-03-06 04:56:30
I’ve long been in the habit of using third-party file managers on macOS. I used Pathfinder for years, then switched to Qspace Pro a couple of years ago. I also bought Bloom during a Black Friday sale last year to see what it could do.
Recently, though, I’ve grown tired of paying the RAM tax these apps demand. Both Qspace and Bloom routinely use over 1 GB of memory. In my setup, they are often the most RAM-hungry applications running other than Chromium- or Gecko-based browsers.
I still don’t understand why Apple hasn’t implemented an optional dual-pane interface in Finder. But if the goal is freeing up system resources, there are workable alternatives.
The approach that’s been working for me is simple: keep using Finder, then add a handful of small utilities that extend it. Apps with Finder extensions can restore many of the features people install full replacement file managers to get in the first place.
You won’t replicate every feature found in Qspace Pro or Bloom, but you can get surprisingly close by layering a few focused utilities on top of Finder.
Supercharge adds optional buttons to the Finder toolbar for actions like toggling hidden files or opening the current folder in Ghostty. It also extends Finder’s right-click context menu with a number of genuinely useful commands.
Examples include:
It also adds a set of Finder behavior tweaks, such as:
None of these features are individually groundbreaking, but together they noticeably improve day-to-day Finder usability.
Menuist is primarily a right-click context-menu extender, though it includes a few extra utilities as well.
It overlaps somewhat with Supercharge, but it also adds capabilities that normally require separate utilities. For example:
Menuist also replaces a couple of small utilities people often install just to color folders or paste clipboard images as files.
Other apps in this category include MouseBoost, which is fairly capable, and MagicMenu, which in my experience is best avoided.
One of the traditional advantages of third-party file managers is a more capable search interface.
Finder’s built-in search is decent but limited. Pairing Finder with HoudahSpot gives you something much more powerful.
HoudahSpot can add an optional toolbar button to Finder that launches complex saved searches or lets you build new ones on the fly. If you regularly search by metadata, file attributes, or nested criteria, it’s a major upgrade over the standard Finder search UI.
Default Folder X is best known for enhancing file-open and save dialogs, but it also integrates tightly with Finder.
It adds a navigation toolbar that gives quick access to:
It can also add a file shelf to Finder windows. This acts as a temporary staging area where you can collect files before moving them to their final destination. If you frequently reorganize files across multiple folders, this feature is surprisingly useful.
Keka is a free, powerful compression utility that integrates with Finder. Once installed, its compression and extraction features appear directly in Finder’s context menu and toolbar.
It supports common archive formats and can encrypt archives when needed, which makes it more capable than macOS’s built-in compression tools.
BetterTouchTool is primarily known for input automation, but it can also extend Finder.
You can add custom actions to Finder’s toolbar or context menu and trigger scripts directly from them. In practice, this turns Finder into a launch point for your own automation.
For example, I use BetterTouchTool actions to:
At that point Finder stops feeling like a limited file manager and starts behaving more like a programmable front-end for your own workflows.
The bigger realization for me was this: many of the reasons people install heavy file-manager replacements are really just missing Finder conveniences. A handful of small utilities can fill those gaps while keeping Finder itself lightweight.
If your main complaint about Finder is the lack of a dual-pane interface, this approach won’t solve that. But if what you actually want is faster navigation, better search, stronger context menus, and automation hooks, extending Finder can get you surprisingly far without the 1 GB memory footprint.
2026-03-05 18:41:42
"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
A song you've seen performed live, or would really like to see performed live?
I'd looked forward to the dual Live Aid concerts back in 1985 for months. When the big day finally came, I bought way too much cheap beer, as was my habit for too many years. When I decided it was time to go get even more, my wife took my car keys and locked the door to the house - while I was on the porch. It's funny that of all the regrets I have about life before getting sober, missing that concert is one that always comes to mind. I haven't had a drink in over 17 years and i sure wish I could get in a time machine and go back to the day of Live Aid and make different decisions.
2026-03-05 01:28:39
NeoFinder is a macOS app that catalogs disks and media, creating a searchable database of your files no matter where they live: internal drives, external drives, NAS volumes, shared network drives, removable media (CDs, DVDs, USB drives), and even inside archives.
The real magic is its ability to search offline drives; drives that aren’t currently mounted. NeoFinder does this by maintaining an inventory of file names, folder structures, and a surprisingly deep set of metadata. It can even generate thumbnails and previews for many media types, so you can visually identify files without connecting the original drive.
For anyone with a long digital history spread across multiple devices and storage formats, that capability alone makes NeoFinder worth paying attention to.
I’m exactly the kind of user NeoFinder was built for.
My photo library is huge and messy. My music collection goes back to the Napster era and includes everything from original Carter Family recordings to spoken-word tracks from Gil Scott-Herron. My movie and TV collection is a mix of rips, downloads, digital purchases, and the occasional file that mysteriously “fell off a truck.”
My ebook library alone contains more than 18,000 titles in twelve different formats.
NeoFinder helps bring order to that chaos.
It can identify duplicates, normalize metadata, and organize photos using standardized metadata fields including geotagging. Finding photos from past trips or events becomes dramatically easier. We photograph a lot of ultramarathon events, and locating images from an obscure mountain race in 2018 used to be a real chore.
NeoFinder’s filtering tools also help with technical housekeeping. For example, you can identify videos using outdated codecs, unusual bitrates, or missing subtitle tracks. That makes it easier to modernize large collections over time.
Even ebook organization becomes simpler; building subject-specific libraries or collections for particular people takes minutes instead of hours.
2026-03-04 17:22:49
"War Pigs" by Black Sabbath
A song that you discovered in an unusual way
When i was in basic training in 1983, I was assigned to clean our drill sergeants' office. One day I found a hand written sheet crumpled and thrown away. Being the nosy private that i was, I stuck it in my pocket to show the guys in my squad. We discovered that it contained the lines
Generals gathered in their masses<BR>
Just like witches at black masses<BR>
Evil minds that plot destruction<BR>
Sorcerer of death's construction<BR>
In the fields, the bodies burning<BR>
As the war machine keeps turning<BR>
Death and hatred to mankind<BR>
Poisoning their brainwashed minds<BR>
Oh, Lord, yeah<BR>
We started freaking out that we were being trained by obvious satanists. It was the 80s, after all. Finally someone realized that it wlack Sabbath song and we all calmed the fuck down.
2026-03-04 01:44:22
Every text expansion app promises the same core trick: type a short trigger; get a longer block of text. What actually matters is reliability, friction, and whether the app helps you build real workflows instead of just automating ⌘V.
Rocket Typist is a one-time purchase Mac text expander from Witt Software. It focuses on dynamic snippets built with simple macros, all managed from a centralized library that lets you preview exactly what will be inserted before you commit.
It’s normally $19.99 for the Pro version; it’s currently on sale at BundleHunt for $3.50. It’s also available through Setapp, although some users report bugs in the Setapp version that don’t appear in the standalone release.
The Mac text expansion space is crowded: TextExpander, Espanso, aText, PhraseExpress, and even Raycast Snippets all compete here. Rocket Typist positions itself as a middle ground: more capable than lightweight snippet tools; less complex and less enterprise-heavy than the big subscription platforms.
I’ve used text expanders for years, and the real value shows up in boring, repetitive work:
Rocket Typist treats snippets less like a warehouse of static text and more like reusable building blocks. That distinction matters once your library grows past a couple dozen entries.
Macros Are the Real Feature
Rocket Typist’s dynamic elements are called macros. These let snippets adapt at insertion time instead of being fixed text.
From the developer:
“Use macros to add dynamic elements to your snippets… The Labeled Macros Hub provides you a central location to edit and apply macros consistently across multiple snippets… preview your snippets, complete with all macros applied, before inserting them.”
Marketing language aside, three things matter in practice:
That preview feature is underrated. When you’re inserting variable content into a live email or ticketing system, being able to confirm the output before it hits the page prevents sloppy mistakes.
How It Works in Real Workflows
Static snippets are useful. Macros turn snippets into a lightweight automation layer.
Concrete examples:
Rocket Typist’s macro library also supports batch editing. If you need to update a common element across multiple snippets, you don’t have to touch each one manually.
Compared to Espanso or PhraseExpress, Rocket Typist feels less like you’re configuring a YAML-driven mini-programming environment and more like you’re using a Mac app. For many users, that’s a feature, not a limitation.
Rocket Typist makes the most sense for solo Mac users. It’s not trying to be an enterprise collaboration platform.
You can create consistent document layouts with dynamic fields for titles, dates, categories, or boilerplate disclosures. It’s especially useful if you publish frequently and want structural consistency without copying old files.
In my tech support days, snippets handled:
Macros let you personalize these without rewriting them from scratch.
Raycast Snippets are convenient but intentionally minimal. Rocket Typist offers:
If you’ve hit the ceiling with basic snippet tools but don’t want a subscription platform, this is where Rocket Typist fits.
Rocket Typist vs. the Competition
Powerful, cross-platform, highly customizable. Also more complex to set up and maintain. Great for tinkerers; heavier lift for everyone else.
Strong team features, snippet sharing, and administrative controls. Subscription pricing reflects its enterprise focus.
If it already works for you, there’s no urgent reason to switch. Rocket Typist offers a more modern interface and stronger macro tooling at a low one-time cost.
Feature-rich and powerful; also more configuration-heavy. Rocket Typist feels simpler and more Mac-native.
Excellent for lightweight expansions inside an already great launcher. Limited dynamic logic and no centralized macro h
Pricing and Versions
Rocket Typist’s pricing could be clearer. The website describes the upgrade in vague terms:
“Rocket Typist is free to use with a basic feature set. Upgrade to Rocket Typist Pro for the full experience.”
You shouldn’t have to install an app to understand the feature split.
Rocket Typist Pro (as described in-app)
Upgrading unlocks:
Unlimited snippets plus full macro support is the real value here.
If you’re considering it, the BundleHunt price significantly lowers the barrier to trying it seriously.
Final Thoughts
Rocket Typist isn’t trying to dominate the enterprise. It’s not trying to turn snippet management into a side hobby. It’s a practical tool for people who type the same structured content over and over and want dynamic flexibility without a subscription.
If you live in email, ticketing systems, documentation tools, or Markdown editors, and you care about consistency and speed, Rocket Typist earns a serious look
2026-03-03 06:02:16
Typora is a long-established Mac Markdown editor that renders as you type; no dual-pane preview, no “toggle to see what it really looks like” mode. It’s especially strong with tables and code blocks. If you write with math, it’s one of the cleanest LaTeX experiences on macOS. Mermaid diagrams are also straightforward.
It doesn’t try to be everything. It’s not a platform. It’s not a note system It’s not an IDE. It’s a text editor for creating production ready documents.
Typora is a Markdown editor built around a single-pane, live-rendered approach. You write Markdown You see the formatted document as you go.
In practice, it feels closer to a word processor than most Markdown editors, but your files stay portable. Typora also exports to a wide range of formats (including HTML, DOCX, PDF, and ePub); if your workflow ends in a CMS, a PDF, or an ebook, that matters.
Most Markdown apps push people toward two extremes:
Typora sits between those two. It gives you a calm writing surface, but it also handles publishing-oriented Markdown without drama: headings, lists, code blocks, tables, images, and exports.
If you bounced off “note system” complexity but still want more than plain-text minimalism, Typora is the middle ground.
Typora isn’t trying to compete with a PKM ecosystem or a full writing suite. It’s trying to be the editor you open when you want to write.
A Mature Editor that Stays out of Your Way Typora feels like software that knows what it is. The interface stays quiet; the feature set stays focused. You can move from outline to draft to polish without living in sidebars, plugin browsers, or “workspace” metaphors.
Live Rendering Reduces Formatting Mistakes For review writing, quality comes from structure. Typora makes it obvious while you’re still drafting whether the post will scan:
It Works Well with Markdown as a Source Format If you care about plain files, Typora fits the “future-proof drafts” mindset. You keep Markdown portability without forcing yourself into a spartan writing experience.
It Is Not a Note System If you expect backlinks, daily notes, tasks, or a full “second brain,” Typora isn’t built for that. It’s a document editor.
The real question isn’t “can Typora export?”. It's whether it works with the tools in your workflow.
Typora can export HTML, but paste behavior varies by web editor. Some preserve semantic HTML. Some strip styles; some mangle lists and code blocks. If export matters, test it like you actually publish:
Latest update highlights — The last major update (September 2025) brought macOS 26 Tahoe compliance and enabled the Share Sheet on all supported systems.
Privacy — Typora is primarily local; your content stays on disk unless you put it in a synced folder. Privacy is mostly determined by your sync choice; not the editor.
System Requirements — Optimized for Apple Silicon and supports macOS v11 and up.
Price — 14.99 for a three seat license. (No subscriptions)
Download — Direct from typora.io.
Typora is worth revisiting because it stays focused. It’s stable, writes clean Markdown, and helps you ship well-structured posts without turning writing into an app-management hobby.
