Launchpad is one of those features of OS X Lion that makes you scratch your head a little bit. It brings the app screens from iOS over to the Mac.
Now, some Mac users will just openly accept this because, well, it came from Apple. Others (like me) find it annoying that Apple is trying so hard to make a Mac operate like an iPad. And, Windows users probably just laugh. 
Well, not all of them, because you can set up LaunchPad under Windows with the XLaunchPad desktop widget for Windows.
But, even if you’re a Mac user and enjoy LaunchPad, you gotta admit it is rather half-baked. One of the biggest annoyances about it is that EVERY app on your system shows up on LaunchPad. And, you can’t delete them.
Only the official apps you’ve bought via the App Store are deletable from LaunchPad, and even then, you’re not simply removing the icon… you’re actually UNINSTALLING THE APP. That will no doubt confuse the crap out of people. And, if it is an app you installed the old-fashioned way, there is simply no way to remove it.
So, LaunchPad becomes this over-burdened mess that makes you not want to use it.
Well, check out LaunchPad-Control, from chaosspace.de. This simple little app installs as a preference pane and allows you to control LaunchPad.
LaunchPad screen inside of Preferences.
Unchecking apps will remove them from LaunchPad. You can also reorder apps.
It is simple, but it works.
And, with that, it makes LaunchPad a more useful addition to the OS. Now you don’t have to keep everything in your Dock, or use Finder to manually type things.
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True…I am a Windows user but have to use MacBook every now and then at work because so many of the Faculty are Mac users. I have heard complaints over and over about LaunchPad and have told them to keep the apps they use the most on the dock but Faculty will be Faculty and practically every app to them is something they use the most and that dock becomes crowded even with stacked docks. This will be something nice to share with them. This is a great article to share with them. I’m sure they’ll all benefit from it. In the case of uninstalling…the LaunchPad does really create a mess of things for those who aren’t familiar with how things work (like the faculty that have never used OS X before and wanted one because everyone else had it). Sheesh!
The app may be simple…but sometimes simple is all we need!
Thanks for sharing!