Launchpad is a new feature in Mac OS X that allows you to organize, manage, and launch Mac applications just like you would on an iPad. In Lion, the Launchpad will automatically be shown and store applications when downloaded from the Mac App Store, and can even delete applications downloaded from the App Store.

Navigating Launchpad

You can find the Launchpad icon in your Dock after installing Lion; if you don’t see the icon, you can find it in the Applications folder on your Mac. After the application launches, you’ll see an iPad-like screen that shows the icons of the applications you have installed on your Mac.

To navigate through the different “home screens” swipe left or right with two fingers on your Mac’s trackpad, or click and drag left or right on a Desktop computer.

Creating and Renaming Folders

To create a new folder in Launchpad, click and hold on one of the icons, and when they start wiggling, drag and drop one icon on top of another to create a folder. Note that this will not change the directory structure of your Applications folder, so feel free to organize Launchpad however you like.

The name of the folder will automatically be determined by the categories of the two applications. If you wish to rename the folder, simply open the folder by single clicking on it, and then click on the title to rename it. 

Rearranging Icons and Folders

Rearranging icons and folders is easily done by clicking and holding on an icon until it wiggles. When this happens, you can drag and drop folders and icons in line anywhere on the same Launchpad screen or a different one.

Deleting Apps

Apple has included the ability to delete an application right from within Lion. This is the first time that Apple has included an uninstaller on a Mac, but this uninstaller has two shortfalls: It won’t delete non-App Store applications, and it won’t remove the application preferences from your Mac.

That being said, you can delete an application by clicking and holding on an icon until it begins to wiggle, and then click on the “X” in the top-left corner of the application icon. You will be asked if you wish to delete the application; clicking on the Delete button will remove the application from your Mac.


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