3 Applications to Make PC Life Easier

Some Great Windows Programs

I’ve stated numerous times that I really am not a huge fan of the mouse and clicking and all that jazz. Without further ado, here are my top 3 favorite “make life easier by not making me jump through hoops to do simple chores” applications.

Number 1 – Bayden’s SlickRun
http://www.bayden.com/SlickRun/

This app is amazing. On my Mac I use Quicksilver, but on a PC it is hard to find an application to compete with that. I’ve tried 90% of the launchers out there, and they just aren’t what I want.

This app is exactly what I need. It hangs out in the bottom of the screen, out of the way, and when I need it I throw a hot-key out to bring it up. It uses ‘magic words’ instead of hunting for what you want. Why is this better? Because, for example, if I want firefox all I type is ‘ff’ instead of the full name – which most launchers want. Search for google images? No problem ‘gi search_term’. I was using a Yahoo! widget for this (LaunchIt) but the overhead of the Yahoo! widgets was annoying.

Adding a magic word is as simple as entering a command string, and assigning a program or URL. It also supports a ‘@MULTI@’ keyword that will preform, get this, multiple actions at once. God I love this program.

(Configuration Screenshot – click for larger image)

Number 2 – Virtual Dimension (Virtual Desktop)
http://virt-dimension.sourceforge.net/

What’s to be said. Windows should have had virtual desktops from day 1 — OS X for that matter too, although their window management is superior to Windows. Being an on-again-off-again linux user, I’ve come to love virtual desktops. It also supports drag-and-drop of icons for switching desktops, which is awesome.

Number 3 – Taskbar Shuffle
http://www.freewebs.com/nerdcave/taskbarshuffle.htm

Very simple application that allows you to drag & drop your taskbar items. Useful if you are switching between 2 programs and would like them next to eachother, or if you just like to stay organized. Not too much to say about this, it is a very simple, effective program.

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