Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Launchbar and AppRocket
You know, I've been typing away on computer keyboards since the late 1970's, and although I thoroughly enjoy using the mouse for operating my computer, I do like staying on the keyboard if at all possible. When I'm in the typing groove, I don't necessarily want to interrupt my flow by stopping, reaching for the mouse, and fumbling around while I search for a file or try to open an application. Fortunately, there are some nice solutions available that let you stay on the keyboard.
For a number of years now I've been using two programs that let me stay on the keyboard when I need to launch new applications or open files. They are LaunchBar for the Mac and AppRocket for Windows. Both are available in as trial versions and they are both low-cost.
How do they work? Basically, both use exactly the same keyboard combination to activate: CMD-Space on the Mac, and ALT-Space on Windows (the CMD and ALT keys are the same on Mac and Windows, even though they are named differently). When you activate LaunchBar or AppRocket, a small list pops down from the top of your screen. The next step is to simply type a combination of 2 or 3 characters (like an abbreviation) and hit Return or Enter.
For Microsoft Word, I type "WO". For Excel, I type "EX". I have several versions of Photoshop, so I'll use "P4" for Photoshop 4.0, or "P7" for Photoshop 7, or "PE" for Photoshop Elements 2.0.
Now sometimes when you type your abbreviation, LaunchBar or AppRocket will guess the wrong thing. Simply use your arrow keys to move down the list until you find the right choice. And here's the cool part: Both LaunchBar and AppRocket are intelligent enough to learn your preferences so the next time you use that abbreviation, your preferred choice is first on the list.
Both LaunchBar and AppRocket are tremendously useful for opening applications, but they are not limited to that - you can use them to open files, photos, contacts, web pages, or MP3 songs.
I really like using LaunchBar and AppRocket - I find them so much quicker than hunting through my All Programs list or Applications Folder. In fact, I removed most of my application shortcuts from my Mac's Dock and Window's Taskbar.
I really encourage you to give LaunchBar or AppRocket a try. I think you'll agree with me that it is just a simpler way to open applications and files. If there is a downside, it is only that you have to recall what the name is of the thing that you want to open. And if you don't, the mouse is still there and waiting.
Last modified on Wed, 23 Nov 2005 02:05:58 GMT
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