Lion: Spotlight no longer makes you wait for indexing

Oh, you’ve been there. You know how I know? I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit. You’re in dire need of a file, have no idea where it is, so you head to Spotlight, only to be met with the dreaded indexing icon. You know the one. It’s the magnifying glass, but this time, it has that dreaded dot in the middle. So, in a panic you click anyway, but you’re met with an indexing notice.

Thanks to Apple and Lion, no longer.

In Li0n, you’re now able to use Spotlight while it’s indexing your precious files. Everything’s the same as Snow Leopard, but instead of being locked out of your search, Lion lets you search anyway. If it’s been indexed previously, you should be able to find that file you need for the meeting instead of waiting for what seems like an eternity.

Snow Leopard

Lion