I would like a basic Mac app (let’s call it ‘Squeaky’) which automatically keeps my desktop clean via some simple, configurable rules. If I start with a clean desktop, after a week of working, my desktop looks like this:
I’d like to be able to automagically sort files into folders by File Name Pattern, Kind, Date Created, and Date Modified. An example might be to grab all the image files on my Desktop and store them in a folder called Images. These would be swept automatically at some interval (configurable).
I’ve registered a domain for the application: squeakyapp.com (as in squeaky clean), but I am of course open to some other name for the app. My original codename for the project is ‘crap app’, so perhaps that would work.
I’d also like a manual cleanup option which would let me sweep all files into a file named Stuff-. This would be especially handy when I’m about to give a presentation and put my laptop on the big screen. 🙂 Sometimes though, I just want a clean desktop to think more clearly. It’d be neat if I could ‘press a button’ and voila, clean desk.
I figure this would be worth at least $10 to people who need it, perhaps more if it was well done.
Known Implementations:
- Hazel ($21.95) [I think this probably does much more than what I’m asking for, and as such, the cost is more than I would expect. However, it’s the best thing that I know of to solve the problem.]
- Clean (command line utility by Ross Andrews)
Please let me know if you know of other existing solutions or if you would like to create this application. My computer and my brain would thank you greatly if you could help keep my Desktop squeaky clean.