Find Any File 64bit is available in beta.

[Rod]

A couple of weeks ago I wrote to Thomas Templeman asking if there would be a 64bit version of his very handy app "Find Any File". He wrote back promptly as he always does, replying that there was already a 64bit beta version available on his web site; Thomas Tempelmann - Find Any File
After reexamining the site I saw at the very top of the page a paragraph titled; "Concerned about Apple's upcoming 64 bit requirement?"
In that paragraph is a link to the page with the download link. I have been using the FAF 2 beta for a couple of weeks now and can't fault it so if you were/are a user and you didn't already know about this version I'd advise you give it a try.
It was the last app on my device in 32bit form that I really wanted to keep so big relief for me.

 

[IWT]

Thanks Rod. Just what I wanted to know.

Ian

 

[chscag]

Moved here to the correct forum. Not a Lounge subject.

 

[honestone33]

Useful information, Rod. I just checked, and EasyFind is already 64 bit.

 

[chscag]

Useful information, Rod. I just checked, and EasyFind is already 64 bit.

And... EasyFind is free while Find Any File is not.

 

[honestone33]

And... EasyFind is free while Find Any File is not.

Yes, free is always good! And from comments I have seen, both programs do the job well.

 

[Rod]

And... EasyFind is free while Find Any File is not.

Well when you say FAF2 in not free, it's shareware, so initially free to use, I already paid for the original version ($6) and upgrades to the new version are free.
It’s worth checking the linked page for a list of the improvements too, like “Show results early” and the images search option.
Worth every penny I think. Thomas has put a lot of time and money into this app and I challenge any app developer to provide prompter or better support.


Sent from my iPad using Mac-Forums

 

[honestone33]

I have been using EasyFind for so long that I depend upon it. And I have always had Spotlight turned off. Never really saw any advantages to using Spotlight, and especially with it slowing down my Mac while it performs indexing of a drive.

 

[IWT]

I have been using EasyFind for so long that I depend upon it. And I have always had Spotlight turned off. Never really saw any advantages to using Spotlight, and especially with it slowing down my Mac while it performs indexing of a drive.

Virtually the only really useful aspect of Spotlight for me is: Command plus Spacebar brings up Spotlight - enter the first letter or two of an app you want - hit Enter and it's open. Really quick when you get used to it.

Ian

 

[chscag]

Thomas has put a lot of time and money into this app and I challenge any app developer to provide prompter or better support.

LOL, how much support do you really need for an app like FAF? The point being that both apps do the job very well but one is now shareware (FAF used to be free) and EasyFind is free.

 

[Rod]

Obviously cost is an issue but I used FAF for a couple of years before paying for it. That was because I felt I was getting good value out of it and my conscience got the better of me.
I downloaded EasyFind to try and comparing FAF and EasyFind with a folder that was in two locations. One was at the first level of the Documents Folder and the other was in my One Drive Folder.
It took FAF 10secs to find them both, EasyFind found the folder in Documents in 5secs but took 90secs to find it in the OneDrive folder.
This is a minor but significant difference. I can see that EasyFind with its sidebar search criteria might be easier to use but to compare it to the ease and speed of Spotlight is laughable.
Spotlight had listed both instances of the file before I had finished typing the name as well as 18 other references to the title and the file contents.

 

[Rod]

As for time spent indexing, I'm only dealing with 300Gb on a 500Gb SSD so my observations may be different to others but it seems negligible to me. After initial indexing has been completed the periodic indexing has been next to unnoticeable.

 

[honestone33]

I can see that EasyFind with its sidebar search criteria might be easier to use but to compare it to the ease and speed of Spotlight is laughable.

I was not comparing EasyFind to Spotlight, as I never used Spotlight (and thus could not make a valid comparison), so don't think laughable is an accurate characterization. From what I remember, early implementations of Spotlight seemed to "bog down" a machine, but that could be due to it first being applied to HDDs. With SDDs, and improvements in Spotlight, I suspect it has improved.

I might try it when Catalina comes out, just to see. If the periodic indexing is hardly noticeable, I might consider switching. Also, I am only using about 85 gig or so on my two internal SSDs (one being 256 gig, and the other 252 gig).

 

[Rod]

Honestone for some reason I got the idea that you had disabled Spotlight because you thought EasyFind was better.


Sent from my iPad using Mac-Forums

 

[honestone33]

Honestone for some reason I got the idea that you had disabled Spotlight because you thought EasyFind was better.


Sent from my iPad using Mac-Forums

Yes, I have. But that was because I did not like the idea of Spotlight slowing down my machine. I suspect things have improved in regards to that, especially in light of your post above.

I am going to try and see if there are any comparative reviews of Spotlight, EasyFind, and Find Any File. Do you know of any?

 

[pm-r]

Yes, I have. But that was because I did not like the idea of Spotlight slowing down my machine. I suspect things have improved in regards to that, especially in light of your post above.

If you enable Spotlight to do it's indexing the next time you take a bathroom break, I dare say it will be pretty well finished when you get back and I would be very surprised if you even notice it doing any indexing once it's finished.

It's enabled on my iMac running Mavericks OS and I don't think I've ever noticed it running except for after a major upgrade or some such thing.

As much as I have cursed its operation at times, Spotlight does have some very fast quick search features that can be very handy, and some that are certainly much faster than anything EasyFind or Find Any File could even think ofattempting to do.

I don't know where you got the idea or impression that Spotlight will slow down your Mac.


PS: You might want to take a look and read at:
Reason 12: Spotlight Overload
17 Reasons Why Your Mac Running Slow!



- Patrick
======

 

[honestone33]

If you enable Spotlight to do it's indexing the next time you take a bathroom break, I dare say it will be pretty well finished when you get back and I would be very surprised if you even notice it doing any indexing once it's finished.

I suspect that would be the case.

As much as I have cursed its operation at times, Spotlight does have some very fast quick search features that can be very handy, and some that are certainly much faster than anything EasyFind or Find Any File could even think ofattempting to do.

Where's the proof of that assertion?

I don't know where you got the idea or impression that Spotlight will slow down your Mac.

Read my post above, where I clearly stated that in the past, it seemed to be the case. But again (not sure why you ignored what I said), such slowness was when Macs had HDDs, and especially ones spinning at 5400 rpm. With SSDs just about being the norm in most Macs, and improvements in Spotlight, I suspect things have improved.

 

[pm-r]

Quote Originally Posted by pm-r View Post
As much as I have cursed its operation at times, Spotlight does have some very fast quick search features that can be very handy, and some that are certainly much faster than anything EasyFind or Find Any File could even think ofattempting to do.

Where's the proof of that assertion?

The proof is just by simply trying some Spotlight searches. Some specific ones are instantaneous with the results. The same just does not happen when using the other applications.

With SSDs just about being the norm in most Macs, and improvements in Spotlight, I suspect things have improved.

Spotlight has definitely increased in speed compared to how it used to work, especially when it was first released. But I was not referring to it in those situations or as how it might have been slow in the Past.

I was just suggesting you might want to give Spotlight a try and use some of it's benefits, especially with its many speed improvements, and maybe forget how slow you think it used to work.


- Patrick
======

 

[honestone33]

The proof is just by simply trying some Spotlight searches. Some specific ones are instantaneous with the results. The same just does not happen when using the other applications.

Did you actually try it with both EasyFind and Find Any File? So far, I have not stated that EasyFind is "better" that either Spotlight or EasyFind, because I have only EasyFind, and have Spotlight turned off.

Spotlight has definitely increased in speed compared to how it used to work, especially when it was first released. But I was not referring to it in those situations or as how it might have been slow in the Past.

I was just suggesting you might want to give Spotlight a try and use some of it's benefits, especially with its many speed improvements, and maybe forget how slow you think it used to work.


- Patrick
======

I already stated in Post #13 above, "I might try it when Catalina comes out, just to see. If the periodic indexing is hardly noticeable, I might consider switching. Also, I am only using about 85 gig or so on my two internal SSDs (one being 256 gig, and the other 252 gig).".

 

[pm-r]

Good grief honestone33.
Did you actually try it with both EasyFind and Find Any File?

Of course I have, but I was specifically answering your question about the speed of Spotlight as a comparison.
For nearly all Spotlight searches, the results are virtually instant. Neither EasyFind nor Find Any File can come anywhere near the speed.

Whether Spotlight actually finds and produces the results you were looking for can often be a different matter.

I already stated in Post #13 above, "I might try it when Catalina comes out,...I might consider switching.

Again, I was attempting to help you out and suggest you try it now, and why bother waiting??? And nowhere did I suggest you try switching, but to try Spotlight for some of your searches once you have finally let it do it's indexing, and all three applications have their use and place. Some just happen to be better than the others and one learns that from using them accordingly.



- Patrick
======