QuicKeys for Mac

User Reviews

• What a mess

  geneb5April 3, 2012

  Pros

  Gets the date quickey right.

  Cons

  1. Can't even do a simple menu choice without forcing you to tinker endlessly with its arcane, unintelligible process. It was so quick and simple with 9.2, but OSX seems to have completely flummoxed them. 2. Can't use it on your desktop if your laptop is connected. Sends up an alert that takes 3 keystrokes to get rid of. Even after you've quick the program on the laptop, it KEEPS sending at least 2 more alerts.

  Summary

  It uses a nonworking process that is utter gibberish. I used to love it; now I HATE it.

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• Forget this company

  StevenFrankJuly 21, 2011

  Pros

  Great product before LION

  Cons

  Doesn't work with LION

  Summary

  Arrogant forum admins. Deleted 2 messages of mine and was told if my attitude didn't improve they would delete my account. They seem to have been completely blindsided by Lion. It appears they just don't care. I bought iKey. Works with Lion right off. I am done with Startly and Quickeys.

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• Good product - major caveat!

  standubin5February 9, 2010

  Pros

  has a wide variety of short cuts. All work reasonably well.

  Cons

  If you're using the software on your desktop & laptop, you won't be able to have both computers running on your network without going back to Quickeys and buying a second activation key. This was not communicated prior to purchase.

  Summary

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• It's hard to live without this great program!

  JR LaGourgueJanuary 8, 2010

  Pros

  QuicKeys makes long routines a snap by watching what you do and then automating all the steps.

  Cons

  No complaints, except maybe it's a bit pricey. Pricey or not, I need it.

  Summary

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• QuicKeys, (macro program) is my most essential utility.

  lewisjbuckleyJanuary 8, 2010

  Pros

  You can: create keystroke shortcuts to trigger multiple-step actions; replace mouse actions w/keystroke triggers; use voice commands as triggers; reduce your work time substantially. (How would you like to launch Safari by saying "Computer, Safari"?)

  Cons

  Recording multiple step actions requires more tweaking than I'd like, although it's pretty complicated stuff - I don't know if it can be better.

  Summary

  In a nutshell, QuicKeys lets you set keyboard (or voice command) triggers for shortcuts that you create. Its flexibility is astonishing - you can create shortcuts for everything from typing lengthy passages that you use frequently, to avoiding reaching for the mouse, to running complex, multiple-step actions. I simply don't have the time to figure out all the ways in which QuicKeys makes my workday easier, because I use it for virtually everything I do on a computer: launching or switching applications; choosing menu items; changing tools in tool-based applications; and on and on. Its voice-command triggering which can be activated either by using a keyword like "computer" (I use "do") or by holding down a trigger key ( find the tilde key to be convenient). To print a document on one of my two HP printers, I might say "do print HP1", check the print window for accuracy, walk across the room to be sure the right paper is in the printer, and say "do print" from the other side of the room to complete the operation. Many people use it to keep their hands on the keyboard and off the mouse as much as possible; others use it as an application launcher; others use it primarily for shortcuts for multiple-step actions. If you have even a lightweight background in programming, you'll appreciate the ability to include "if-then" branching in a sequence. However, don't let that scare you away. This program can be as simple as assigning Ctrl-S to open Safari for you. Very useful is its ability to "watch" and record a series of actions while you do them, after which you assign a keystroke/voice trigger. While that works fairly effortlessly sometimes, at other times the resulting action sequence requires so much tweaking that I might have been better off to have put the shortcut together manually, one action at a time. But that's the only significant niggle I have with it. There are a very few applications with which QuicKeys has trouble interfacing, but the QuicKeys User Forums seem to indicate that those instances usually involve apps that have their own problems interfacing with the Macintosh. I'm not a professional reviewer, and one consequence of that is that I've focussed just on the stuff I know about and use every day. There's far more in there for those who have different needs. Bottom line is, as I said above, it's my most essential utility. If I to give away my various utilities, QuicKeys would be the absolute last one to go.

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• When you need automation software, this is it.

  jimcobberDecember 2, 2009

  Pros

  Graphical interface that walks you through your macro creations in a logical fashion.

  Cons

  Probably the ugliest product icon in software history. "Watch me" macros are usually very ugly, tracking and adding every mouse move and mistake. Can take a long time to clean one up.

  Summary

  Quickeys keeps improving and updating this product. They tend to charge for major updates, and I tend to purchase them because it pays for itself. So, after purchasing Quickeys a dozen times or so, I can say it is the best product of its kind for OS X. I'm not an applescript wonk, nor can I get much done with Automator. And it's kind of fun doing QK macros, once you get the hang of the flow. If you are used to the Mac version, you won't be very happy with the Windows version.

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• I've used it for 20+ years.

  bassisland--2008October 30, 2009

  Pros

  I can't imagine life without QuicKeys now. It's fast and I get to make up key combinations that work for me. I love being able to instantly type often-used words or word combinations, like "Los Angeles" or "By the way", or my address. QK rocks.

  Cons

  I have no issues with QK.

  Summary

  It saves me incredible amounts of time and it's completely adaptable to my way of thinking. I love having key combinations for complicated passwords and addresses. QK types them instantly. This is the one product I can't do without, and I've been using it for over twenty years. Great support, too.

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• QuicKeys is the Real Deal

  dashardOctober 14, 2009

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I felt obliged to offer my review -- after being a QuicKeys user since 1992 or so -- to try to counterbalance the unfathomable negative reviews. There can be no mere "difference of opinion," and chowhound is correct: those unfairly posting low ratings have either a) not actually used the software, b) not the mental capacity to use the software, or c) an agenda. I currently have 406 shortcuts established. Many of those are tied to keystrokes. Many are set to trigger at a particular time, or after a particular event (whenever the Music volume mounts run a sync of my iTunes Library files -- easy to set up, in case you're wondering), and many are set to work only within the scope of a particular application (determine what "Cmd-Shift-S" does on a per-application basis), etc. It's indispensable, insanely powerful, and absurdly easy considering the power you're harnessing. Buy it. Play with it. If you're still not sure, RTFM (though you will likely not need to until/unless you want the more advanced stuff.) Quicksilver's great. It's *not* a replacement. I use them both, and Quicksilver *only* for very specific things (such as it's ability to chain events and perhaps show me a dialog of a custom message after a particular delay.) Otherwise, it's QuicKeys 250 times a day for me. Sitting at a computer that does not have QuicKeys (and more specifically my shortcuts) installed makes me wonder how I could possibly get along without it. It's that good and that indispensable. 10 stars, no joke.

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• Must-Have Software

  ChowmanSeptember 16, 2009

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />Quickeys was great in the days before OS X, sucked for a couple of years while it caught up, and is now terrific again. It suffers unfairly from low reviews here from people who 1. haven't noticed it got good again, 2. haven't taken time to learn to use the program (there's a learning curve), and/or 3. are shilling to promote other applications. Re: that last, anyone who says "XXX does the same only cheaper" is lying. Quickeys is unique. There's nothing out there with even close to its power. If there's anything repetitive (really, just about ANYTHING) you find yourself doing on a Mac, this program will turn it into a painless macro. I wish I could use it to automate my entire life!

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• super app

  engravSeptember 15, 2009

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />does what I need, and more; price is fair; rating should be higher than 3.2 (IMO)

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