TechRadar Verdict
A unique and highly usable approach to searching and accessing content on your Mac
Pros
- +
Fast, stable and efficient
- +
Excellent tagging and search
- +
Clear manual for beginners
Cons
- -
A bit pricey and mouse-centric
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The premise behind Ironic Software's Leap is making it easy to find things, via a combination of filter-based searches and user-defined tagging.
Using the crumb trail, you decide what to look for and where to look for it – for example, images in your home folder. Leap's display area then shows the selection, which can be refined by clicking filter-panel tags or location-panel folders.
Preferences enable file-type groups to be defined, tags can then be applied to items via an inspector, and searches can be handily saved as bookmarks.
Works with Finder
The advantages over Finder soon become clear. Search for Applications in Anywhere and you get a list of all installed applications. Apply tags and you can, say, see your web browsers in a couple of clicks, regardless of where they're stored.
And this logic is app-wide: web designers can view every file in a site before drilling down via specific tags or folders; invoices can be tagged and filed, and then made accessible via a Leap bookmark; and every PSD on your Mac can be displayed in seconds via two pop-up menus.
Unlike Path Finder, Leap seems designed to work alongside Finder rather than replace it, and you need to exercise discipline regarding tagging to get the most out of it. But even in its default state, it works wonders.
Despite minor UI concerns and a slightly elevated price, it comes recommended, especially if you regularly work with myriad files and have a slapdash approach to filing.
