QuicKeys X, an automation utility for Mac OS X, is now available from CE Software. QuicKeys X is a new addition to the QuicKeys product line. (The software was previously available for OS X in the form of a public beta version.)
QuicKeys lets you record and play back any action you make on your Mac. You can rename every file in a folder, enter blocks of text, reformat text, navigate to certain Web sites, and more. You can do all this in a variety of ways: with a keystroke, with a desktop icon, or through a menu by speaking the name of the action (also known as a macro). QuicKeys X is developed using Apple’s Cocoa development environment.
“Since 1987 we’ve been developing QuicKeys for the previous Macintosh operating system,” John S. Kirk, President of CE Software, said in announcing the product. “We’ve now designed a new QuicKeys, which is as radically different as OS X is from OS 9. As Apple reveals the inner workings of Mac OS X to its developers, QuicKeys X will continually improve.”
QuicKeys X includes a variety of time saving shortcuts, he said. Type Text lets you type blocks of text with a single key. Mouse Recording allows you to select menu options that do not have hot keys. Multi-step Shortcuts combine individual actions for advanced automation. Any, or all, shortcuts can be placed on QuicKeys Toolbars for easy access.
You can also automate other tasks such as: opening applications, documents, and folders with a single keystroke; inserting the date and/or time in any application; creating or modifying shortcuts and steps using the QuicKeys X Editor; copying or moving selected files to a specified folder; and organizing shortcuts with the sticky option that allows multiple key press triggers. With QuicKeys X, you can share your shortcuts with other QuicKeys X users. You can also run both your Unix commands and AppleScripts by using QuicKeys.
The introductory price for QuicKeys X is US$59.95 for a single user. A special “migration” price for current Macintosh and Windows QuicKeys customers is $49.95. The bundle price for QuicKeys X and QuicKeys 5.0 (for the older Mac operating system) is $139.95. QuicKeys X can be purchased directly from CE Software’s online store.