Quick launch your applications from command line with Launchy
One of the most time consuming practices when I want to start a program is going to Start -> Programs (waiting for windows to show up) and then searching for my program. Instead I’d rather do: Win button + R –> winword for example when applicable. But that doesn’t always work. Not by default at least. If you are a Windows command liner, Launchy will be the software for you. What it does is, it searches certain paths for executable programs, and then with few strokes it tries to guess what program you want to run. It acts similar to Google Desktop in how it shows up. After installing it, follow the two simple steps:
1- Alt + Space: Will bring up the typing menu in your face
2- Start writing your program initials.
See how it tries to complete program name. Just select the program from there and hit Enter. The program searches by default the Start Menus and Utilities folder. You can add to them as you like simply by right clicking the Search Box shown above and selecting Directories. For example, my WAMP Server is installed under C:\Wamp and won’t show up in this case. To fix things I just bring the Directories window and add the wamp directory as shown below. This will do it. You can specify File Extensions to include here as well.
So with this tool I could argue, never use Start menu again. Launchy also has the capacity for plugins, and launching programs is only one thing you can do with it. There is a lot more yet to be explored. with little work, you can append to files with it, schedule events, trigger SMS alert and more. See this link for a starter.
UPDATE: I looked for Launchy clones on Mac and Linux. For Linux there is Katapult. Not sure how good or bad it is. For Mac, there is el Launchy and QuickSilver. There is even better news however. Without a date being committed, but Launchy is on the way of being cross-platform available.
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Comments
Kroms: LOL. It’s what softwares were meant to be. In my first programming course C Language, my TA used to say: “We will teach you how to be lazy”. And they did.
You remind me of a dilbert comic though (which I lost somehow):
Dilbert: Can I show you something that I’m proud of? I automated a task that used to take me three hours.
PHB: Well, well, well. Isn’t that just like you?
Dilbert: Resourceful?
PHB: Lazy.
:P
Laziness has become software.