14 DAY TRIAL // Uninstalling apps in Mac OS X is already a breeze, but Lion makes it even easier, Softpedia has learned. And it’s just one of the many iOS-functions Lion borrows from the iPad.
With current versions of Mac OS X (Leopard, Snow Leopard), users have at least one simple method of uninstalling applications from the computer - dragging the actual application to the Trash.
Sometimes, however, certain leftover files may remain stuck in your system.
Other apps have their own uninstaller, such as antivirus programs.
Dedicated ‘uninstall’ wizards ensure that your Mac is cleansed of any leftovers once you decide to get rid of a program.
In Lion, such worries are a thing of the past.
Lion’s Launchpad allows users to quickly access any apps they have installed on their Mac as well as easily remove them, just like they would on the iPad or iPhone.
By clicking an app from the Launchpad, said app instantly launches. But if you click and hold for a couple of seconds, the apps go into ‘giggle’ mode with x buttons appearing in their icons’ top left corner.
As shown in the screenshot above, clicking the x button will delete / uninstall the app from your system.
Certain third party applications that are not Mac-native will not be deletable this way, as demonstrated in the second screen grab below.
Being ported over from Linux and requiring XQuartz (X11) to display its interface, GIMP is an application that relies on multiple components scattered around the OS.
Launchpad does not regard Gimp as a typical Mac app, therefore offers no option for standard uninstalling.
For more Mac OS X Lion features coverage, visit the related links below.