ActionItem 1.0 review

That status bar is just sitting there.

License: Freeware OS: Mac OS X File size: 103K Developer: From Concentrate Software Price: $0.00 Updated: 18 Oct 2005

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That status bar is just sitting there. Sure, you've got the fast user switch menu, probably the scripts menu, possibly MacDialer (eh? eh?), but it could be a bit handier. Wouldn't it be handy to do internet searched right from the status bar? Or perhaps you could do calculations without launching a calculator application or even bothering with a Dashboard widget. ActionItem does all this and more. It's even free!

I, search
Thinking of something and decide you want to search for it online? First you have to fire up a web browser, navigate to the search engine you want, type it in, then wait for the results. ActionItem makes it much easier. Simply click on the search engine you want from menu, type in your search terms into the text field, and hit return. ActionItem opens your default web browser and searches using the engine you selected. Adding new search items is easy so you can customize it to suit your preferences.

Add it up
ActionItem lets you do simple (and fairly complex) calculations directly from the text field. ActionItem pipes the text entered in ActionItem into the command-line program bc. The results are placed right back in the text field. Open Terminal and type "man bc" for more information on what is possible.

Applescript? Absolutely.
With ActionItem, you can send text to applescripts. This is a handy way to route text through other scriptable applications such as BBEdit or Considera. If the text field looks a bit small, press the "TEXT" button next to it to reveal a window with a larger text view. As long as that window is open, ActionItem will take information from that text view instead of the smaller text field. It couldn't be easier to pass text around.

Create file here
ActionItem also includes a handy feature which lets you create files instantly, anywhere. Better yet, you can define your own templates for inserting text into standardized files. ActionItem creates the files in the selected format in the currently open Finder window. If there isn't an open window, ActionItem creates files on the Desktop.

Inter-application support or product plug?
ActionItem includes one last feature, but only if you've got MacDialer installed. If you do, ActionItem can dial numbers using MacDialer. If you like ActionItem, give a small donation and you can get MacDialer for free. Give a bit to support ActionItem's development and I'll gladly return the gesture.