Looking to break yourself of that Start Menu addiction? Why not try out Launchy, an open-source Windows and Linux utility designed to give you easy access to your favorite programs, documents, project files, folders, and bookmarks in seconds.
In essence, Launchy is a search program that hides in the background until you hit the alt+space key combination; at which point, it tries to guess which program or file you are looking for, and it’ll launch it when you hit the enter key.
A few years ago, a guy named Josh Karlin set out to develop a personal-use application
that eliminated the need for hunting through applications hidden in unexpected locations throughout the Start Menu. It wasn’t long before he and his friends realized how useful such a tool could be. So he decided to release it to the world, for free!
Here are a few nifty ways you can use Launchy to simplify your life:
- Google Searching: Type in “Google,” press the Tab key, then your search query and hit Enter.
- Check the Weather: Type in “Weather,” Tab, then your zip code or city, state and hit Enter.
- Search other sites: Like, Google, you can search other sites like: Wikipedia, MSN, Yahoo, Amazon, Netflix, IMDB, and more.
- Browse your computer: Type in c:, Tab, then a folder or file, Tab again, and continue.
For the comprehensive story about Launchy, tips, and a walk-through guide, click here. And, to download Launchy for FREE, click here!
