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Enso Gives Keyboard Commands to Windows Users
illuminatedwax writes "The Wall Street Journal's Walter S. Mossberg's latest column is a writeup on a new software system called Enso. Enso is from a small software startup called Humanized, led by Aza Raskin. The software allows Windows users to do common tasks, like launching programs, spellchecking, or Googling for search terms, but what's interesting is that it allows you to do these tasks from within any program in Windows by use of the keyboard. From the article: 'There are two initial Enso products, which can be downloaded at humanized.com. One, called Enso Launcher, allows you to launch programs and switch among windows via typed commands. The other, called Enso Words, allows you to do spell-checking, even when the program you're using doesn't include that capability, and to look up the meaning of words. Both products also include a simple calculator and the ability to launch Google searches.' Humanized says that users will be able to program their own commands for Enso in future versions."
Aren't I paying a subscription so I *don't* have to look at ads? Perhaps I'm missing something in this "article"...
"The need to build the internet comes from something inside us, something programmed... something we can't resist."
My thoughts:
Ive been beta testing it for a handful of days. Ive never heard of quicksilver, and all that (PC user) so Im not sure what to make of the comparison- but Ill say the following things:
The quasimodal activation is what they wanted to emphasis, but it takes some getting used to. The caps lock key is the key in question quasi-modal means you have to hold it down while typing (like shift) long commands which requires some interesting hand movements. Further- for long commands like open with internet explorer (since its not a default browser on my system) then you have tab to complete the command like other CLIs but since youre already holding the caps key down, its really strange IMO . They do have a mode lock, but they discourage use.
-I sent some feedback during the beta about the memory usage 23-35MB at any given time seems a bit high for a launcher, but a)its beta , b) YMMV and c)You may not care about that.
-Actual usage is great. I like the learn where you can make shortcuts that dont clutter up your file system, it has a real-time list of applications/docs/etc that gets filtered out as you type your command and you can tab-complete or just arrow down if you want.
-Spellcheck, which is a much touted initial proof of concept feature of Enso, seems odd when you only want to spell check single word the spell check interface takes a second to load up (on both of my admittedly older & slower machines) and takes up the whole screen with a giant text box which seems like overkill. You can use the define command I think and get a did you mean prompt which is nice.
-Getting quick access to commonly worded applications (like internet explorer) requires a shortcut (I used ie obviously) but you cant combine that with the open with command. open ie opens up IE, but the open with ie gives me an is not a command error message.
Also Id like to say the best part of this interface is the subtle messaging/feedback system they have. Feedback is large and unmistakable and clear, yet still manage to stay out of your way.
My final thought is that the WSJ article misses the point of spellcheck. Although I agree that its a bit clumsy at times, its point is to break apart the notion of a different spellcheck with a different dictionary for every single application on your system. You have to learn the shortcut key for each one and build/add/ignore dictionaries for all as well.
Enso (thankfully) seeks to a put a single spellcheck interface that is universal in all applications.
> "but what's interesting is that it allows you to do these tasks from within any program in Windows"
Countdown to "adoption" in Vista: 10, 9, 8, 7...
------ The best brain training is now totally free : )
...sometimes it takes two years to copy off of MacOS.
...you are NOT a nerd. You are my 78-year-old father.
So what it can do that csh cant?
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
Wasn't this sort of stuff available in Linux years ago?
OK, it wasn't the Simpsons, but haven't there been macro programs dating all the way back to TSRs in DOS in the 1980s?
This is nothing new.
I use both hands to type, so I have to hold the Cap-Lock key down, revert to one handed typing and enter a command. This is supposed to be easier? I'd rather type with my forehead than do that. I am waiting for the day when I can talk to my mouse and my commands are carried out. "Computer.... computer... Keyboards, how quaint!" I guess the real market is for the home user that uses two fingers to type and can't spell (which I suffer from) It's nice to cross-platform for software and applications.
Isn't this almost a step backwards? I mean, if you ask me, command line was always simpler and faster for me, but too many people were confused by "all that weird stuff you have to type."
So in came the GUIs and icons.
Now we're coming full circle and replacing GUIs and icons with command line again?
My blog
Hold down Alt.
Tap tab.
Window switching since 3.1 (or at least NT).
lmfao @ anyone who thinks that you can't do this in Windows without software
This is one rare instance where the windows key is useful. Might as well use it, it's on all the goddamn keybaords now (except the new microsoft wireless one.)
QuickKeys for the macintosh essentially did all of this and more 15 years ago. nothing new here, move along.
...vividly encapsulates that post-Watergate/pre-punk/coked-up moment when you could trust no one, least of all yourself.
From the article: You lose the normal use of the Caps Lock key.
That is easily the best feature of the entire program.
PC Tools for Windows is finally back.
About time -- here it's taken something like fifteen years to get back the damage done when Symantec bought it out and plowed it under (presumably in favor of the Norton Desktop.)
Lacking <sarcasm> tags,
Apparently, it requires upwards of two dozen megs of memory for a "humane" hotkey launcher. And you get to pay $25-40 for it.
Google Desktop Search is free, it pops up with a double-tap of ctrl (and doesn't require you to hold down keys), it autocompletes, with executables first, and it's taking about 5 megs.
Done with slashdot, done with nerds, getting a life.
At first I thought this was going to be a CanonCAT / command line nostalgia mashup, but I was pleasantly surprised.
OK - was a little scared when the presentation sharted with "computers are too hard" and realized none of these guys were programming when computers were much harder, but let's see how it goes.
I'm still not sure if they're on to something per se, or if they're on the front steps of a finally useful voice recognition system.
But I'm installing it ASAP...
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
1.) Create a directory somewhere on your computer and create shortcuts there to programs you use the most.
2.) Add that directory to your "Path" Environment Variable under System Properties > Advanced.
3.) Rename the shortcuts you created to simple words, ie Firefox = fire, Thunderbird = mail, Winamp = amp.
That's it. To start these programs, [WIN] + r, then type the program you want.
I use it all the time and works great.
You can run more advanced commands by editing shortcut properties adding parameters to the commands and such.
____ plex
This reminds me of xbindkeys, easily one of my favorite Linux programs.
http://www.skullsecurity.org/blog/
I used to have this DOS program that allowed me to do the same... hmmm what was it called... 4DOS? someone help me...
Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
The Wall Street Journal's Walter S. Mossberg's latest column apparently missed a writeup on a existing software system called Emacs. Emacs is software written by Humans. The software allows Windows, Linux, Mac, BSD, Amiga, ITS, TOPS-20, Solaris, HP-UX, Multics, DOS, and Apple ][ users to do common tasks, like launching programs, spellchecking (M-$), or Googling (W3M) for search terms, but what's interesting is that it allows you to do these tasks by use of the keyboard. From the article: 'There are many implementations of Emacs products, which can be downloaded anywhere. One, called Emacs, allows you edit text, Java, C++, C#, Lisp, Perl, XML, HTML, Relax NG, ADA, and other obscure languages, to launch programs and switch among windows via typed commands, do spell-checking, and to look up the meaning of words. Most versuins of Emacs also include a simple calculator and the ability to launch Google searches.' Humans are already able to write their own commands for Emacs using the ELisp extension language, not only in current versions, but in all versions all the way back to the pre-GNU ITS version (which itself then used TECO as the extension language.
Worked in 3.1 AFAIK.
For example, don't Keytext ( http://mjmsoft.com/ ), using 'Shortcut Keys' in Windows Shortcuts, etc, various spellcheckers, etc., and many more utilities already provide these features?
I type Ctrl+Alt+N to open notepad or CTRL+ALT+F for Firefox, using the built-in Windows Shortcut Keys, which is much faster than their demo. Ctrl+Alt+D opens the 'DOS' command window, which gives me access to any commands not already linked to a hotkey.
Mossberg does mention that Enso works in plain English (nothing to memorize), but I have a hard time believing that holding down Caps and typing "open fire..." is faster than simply clicking an icon. Or that it's harder to remember to type "ctrl+alt+f" than caps+"open fire...". You an also put a toolbar with frequently used shortcuts on your Taskbar, or move the shortcut to the top of the Start Menu.
A few years ago I hacked a tiny program launcher in Delphi which works in a similar way. With a greplike helper app I can type "def word//" for a dictionary definition, or "def word" for a reverse definition lookup. Commands are stored in a text file in the form "cmds=txtpad32.exe c:\etc\runapp.ini", so that typing "cmd" would invoke TextPad to bring up a list of commands to edit. The define command is "def=c:\windows\showmatch.exe c:\etc\bigdict.txt". (Yep, I am still running Windows 98 on this machine!) It was written in Delphi and the size of the .exe is 325k; with assembler it would be much smaller of course. It has a history. To start Internet Explorer, I just type "ie", but I can make "go keyword" lookup keyword on Google using IE.
...and all I will ever remember from that video is that Jono DiCarlo needs a serious eyebrow waxing. I'm sure he's a nice guy though.
Every time I write an email these days Firefox always decided to emphasis words for me by underlining them in red.
Autohotkey http://www.autohotkey.com/ does all this and more, is free, and open-source.
It also works on all versions of Windows including Vista.
(I'm not affiliated with them in any way - just a happy user)
hey i can already switch windows by typing in a command. the command is Alt+Tab. And if I'm unsatisfied with that I can always Alt+Shift+Tab to cycle through windows in THE OTHER DIRECTION!
zomg!
This looks a lot like Launchy, which does a lot of this but is free and open source.
I've been using it for months and it's fantastic. From looking at the demos, I can't seem to find anything Enso has added to make it worth the price premium.
The EFF didn't criticize Esno for keeping your personal information either.
I wonder how many of you feel as I do right now: "I thought about implementing something like this but I didn't find that idea to be significant enough... but if I did... I WOULD BE ON SLASHDOT NOW." What a bummer.
Build a tool even an idiot can use and only an idiot will want to use it. -S.O.B.
Maybe this software does something "more", but keyboard shortcuts are already built into Windows. I use it to launch Cygwin Rxvt terminal windows all the time. You just put it in your Start Menu and then right-click, Properties, and enter something in "Shortcut key". It works no matter what program I'm using.. I use Ctrl-Shift-F10 to launch Rxvt, and I have yet to see a situation where some program stops shortcut key from working. Similarly I launch Calculator with Ctrl-Shift-F12, etc.
Um, has anyone ever heard of Windows+R? It's called the run menu, and if you don't need a big bloated app it works great. For those who would prefer to do less legwork, and let the machine handle it, here are 2 free alternatives:
This http://www.autohotkey.com/ is autohotkey. Universal windows auto-complete(no more typing your name or your address, or any words you tend to misspell), ridiculous hotkey action, it's all scripting, so you can make your scripts into exes and use them on any windows computer anywhere.
This http://www.bayden.com/SlickRun/ is slickrun. Windows Run++, pretty much. Windows+q opens your run window, and you can program a bunch of features, it has autocomplete, yadda yadda yadda, it tells me it's using 8k, YMMV.
Or you could buy something that has some obvious flaws and less features. You know, if you are into that kind of stuff. Oh, and it's definitely a slashvertisement when you talk about shitty products that you have to pay for, instead of brilliant, old products that are free. In case you were wondering.
...hotkey systems for the PC since the very first PCs shipped. In fact, I remember writing TSRs to do this for DOS myself many years ago. There are countless such products now in existence. Why has this one been singled out for a story on Slashdot?
Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
Except you don't get to type with your left pinky finger cause it's holding down the caps lock. And it can't do things like "move this file to here." And it's $25 instead of free.
I'm in the hole of the broadband donut.
Back to the future -- I remember using this in the 80's under DOS. Can't remember what the hotkey was though ...
http://www.launchy.net/
Firefox is a focus-stealing pig when I use my regular keyboard shortcuts under Linux with a focus follows mouse policy.. And the developers Just Don't Care. It is very frustrating to click repeatedly in a window only to have the focus keep going back to firefox.. Or to have the wrong firefox window close when you hit alt-w....
I'd expect similar problems under windows as folks try and use the mouse less. Developers rarely take the keyboard shortcut users seriously.
in the Litestep hotkeys module I actually use the windows key for something useful now.
I've got all of the programs I frequently use assigned to keyboard shortcuts already, through the Windows start menu.
Ctrl-Alt-C brings up Calculator
Ctrl-Alt-N brings up Notepad
All you need is a shortcut to that application (or file, or website) somewhere in your Start Menu. From that shortcut's Properties, you can assign any key combination you like in the "Shortcut" textbox.
And while the unified spellcheck is a nice feature, I use Microsoft Office for nearly everything I do... so, I already have that. It shares the dictionary across applications.
-David
... but the implementation is not very good (yet).
It basically attempts to implement something like QuickSilver but comes out being much more like the much simpler Katapult. It's curious then why they aren't copying stuff like the activation keys, etc. QuickSilver and Katapult share the same basic keystrokes and they're pretty comfortable too.
I like the idea of the spell-check feature. I was always curious why this isn't the default behavior for text boxes in Windows as it is in Linux/KDE (where it's automatic) or on the Mac (where sometimes you have to hit a key-combo). I've been fiddling around with Vista a bit and am still surprised about how many little UI niceties that MS hasn't lifted from their competition. There's some good stuff out there, and I can't believe that they aren't aware of it. I haven't done much coding for Windows in a while, but I can see how under pre-Vista versions of Windows these things might be a little tricky to implement (perhaps that explains the large size of this app, about 10x that of QuickSilver or Katapult).
Aza Raskin, the owner of the company, is the son of Macintosh co-creator and User Interface Il Duce Jeff Raskin.
Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
"I use both hands to type, so I have to hold the Cap-Lock key down, revert to one handed typing and enter a command. This is supposed to be easier?"
Isn't that how most geeks type?
If you're looking for a QuickSilver-esque app for Windows, there's a good candidate called Colibri. I've been using it for months and I am totally addicted to it. Small, fast, useful, free (beer). The developer is also very accessible via his forum. http://colibri.leetspeak.org/
no longer working for cnet
We have hundreds of launchers, shortcut tools, global shortcut, batch tasks etc. tools for windows already out there. How is this news? Another promotion story.
Stay tuned while we next tell you about the amazing tool for your desktop that displays weather!
cp = copy
mv = move
ls, rm, etc.
You get the idea. Scripting? Enso 3.0 of course!
The pendulum swings back again...
To put a witty saying into 120 characters, jst rmv ll th vwls.
So... this is something like Launchy?
http://www.launchy.net/
""Launchy is a free windows utility designed to help you forget about your start menu, the icons on your desktop, and even your file manager.""
Am I not understanding something? Both AutoHotKey and AutoIt seem to have everything this new program has, including auto-completion and any amount of programmability.
Use the free, open source AutoHotkey to make keyboard shortcuts to run programs and enter text. AutoHotkey is actively developed. Often the AutoHotKey developer, Chris Mallett, releases 3 versions a month to incorporate user's suggestions. (Windows only)
Use AutoIt to simulate keyboard entries and mouse clicks and when you need complicated decision-making. Download AutoIt with the SciTE auto-completion IDE. The SciTE editor makes writing and testing AutoIt programs and compiling the finished results very easy.
Both of these programs are very sophisticated, apparently the best available, come with compilers, and are FREE. Both are completely programmable.
For example, I've written an AutoHotKey program that uses a shortcut to toggle between Windows shortcut keys and WordStar/Brief control-key editing commands. I like to avoid taking the time to touch the mouse.
AutoIt is great for automating installations of software. You can compile all the installation files into the AutoIt file, and have AutoIt set permissions and copy files during the installation.
Both AutoHotKey and AutoIt allow programming your own GUIs.
Both AutoHotKey and AutoIt need an addition: A GUI method of defining keyboard shortcuts, for unskilled users.
--
U.S. government violence in Iraq encourages other violence.
sounds a bit like quicksilver, except fewer features, and less cool...
*insert obligatory 'but then this is an OS X program, and the advertised is a Windows program, so no surprises there' quip*
How to find the definition of "proclivity", as mentioned by Walt Mossberg in the linked article: Google define: proclivity.
You mean you can't already do all that in windows now? Linux and Macs have long had right click contextual mouse buttons ("open hihlighed text in google", check spelling is default for all text windows across all apps, there's open-with contexts. Macs have the Expose and command-tab application switchers from the keyboard. Linux have virtual desktops from the mouse, etc...)
Are you saying that this sort of thing is not currently in widows or wont' be in vista. I'm having a hard time believing people work without this.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
I covered this for Computer Power User magazine a few months back: Launchy, over at http://www.launchy.net/.
This free, Open Source software has many sterling qualities, including:
- extremely fast
- looks great by default, and is skinnable too
- takes less than 7mb of RAM while running, and no discernible CPU cycles
- uses Alt+Space to activate/deactivate, so you can keep your CAPS LOCK key and your left pinky too
- autocompletes text as if by magic
- opens applications, files, and websites
- opens bookmarks
- has calculator built-in
- doesn't cost $25 (or whatever)
Hey look, I'm still using my Apple II once in a while, and respect the Raskins as much as the next guy, but that's no reason to use an inferior, more expensive product.
Complaint: Why is anything written by Mossberg, Dvorak, Cringely, etc put on slashdot almost instantly? I mean, these guys are lightweights and hardly "stuff that matters".
Speaking of Mossberg, the only hope the WSJ had of attracting any new subscribers for their technical content was to offer Mossberg early retirement and give the column to Katie Boheret.
What happened to Katie? Haven't seen her byline in some time.
Remember ?? Bob, Dot, Enso ? Along with Fong, Megabyte, Hexadecimal, Hack and Slash, Mike the TV, NULLZILLAAAAAAAAA..... Run !!! Run for your lives !!! and when you stopped running, RUN SOME MORE !!!!
Guns are for wimps... Use a crossbow.. this way you can pin them to their chair when you go postal.
I don't know but I have 2 hypothesis:
1. Zonk is on crack
2. Zonk crashed his car last night and suffered brain damage
3. Zonk is taking bribes
4. Zonk has been replaced by some sort of corporate android
No, I can't count any better than I can spell. But at least I'm not posting Wall Streeet Journal articles to a NERD SITE. Zonk, we're about to make you turn in your nerd license and pocket protector if you don't stop this shit.
I forgot to mention in my parent comment that finding definitions that way can be made into an AutoHotKey hotkey.
(not a vi/emacs troll. keep those comments to yourself please)
Look at the whole picture, not just the hole in the picture.
The point of the app (and company as a whole, I think) is a first step towards a full implementation of Jef Raskin's Humane Interface. At the moment, it's basically a transient command line for the desktop, as some wags have already mentioned. The goal is to implement a consistent way of doing things across a wide variety of applications and to get apps working together. In this it's much like QuickSilver on the Mac. There are differences in implementation philosophy, which stem from Jef's philosophies, but I believe the two programs are more similar than they are different.
Since this is Slashdot:
I've been a bit busy since I got into the final beta last week, but a preliminary check over the install directory shows that the engine is written in Python and it looks like they're using ctypes or the win32 Python stuff to patch into the system and intercept key events. There's also an embedded Mozilla install. Poking around the help files yields a much larger set of developer commands that aren't enabled in my beta demo ("hard crash enso" is my favorite, but there are items like "add to google calendar", "py {command}", and commands for Backpack todo list manipulation).
Unfortunately, I haven't figured out how to add commands nor how to modify existing ones. If anybody has any ideas, I'd be interested in hearing about them.
What I do is co-opt the "favorites" menu for shortcuts.
1) Put shortcuts into the favorites menu.
2) If any two share the same first letter, rename.
Access with separate keystrokes
[WIN] (brings up start menu)
a (goes into favs menu)
[first letter] (runs shortcut)
So to get to Firefox, I type [WIN] a f, for Cygwin it's [WIN] a c, etc.
This method works best if you don't use IE, obviously. You can keep the "Links" folder from showing up in the start menu by making it hidden.
The install for this thng requires 25MB of disk space. For a little program that supposedly just launches apps from the keyboard. It has to be doing something they're not telling you.
They admit that it has remote update, so it has a built-in security vulnerability. Vista won't let it run for that reason.
What did they do, load it up with adware?
Can this program switch to other open windows?
One thing I haven't seen implemented (but enso does) is switch between windows. I'm not too worried about the minimize/maximize commands because you can do alt+space in a window and then x or n to maximize or minimize.
I launch most of my applications by using run in Windows XP, specifically by using the Windows Key + R keyboard sequence, followed by the executable name + ENTER.
firefox ENTER
mstsc ENTER
mmc ENTER
outlook ENTER
etc.
However, I'm not sure how some apps work but others do not. I checked the environment variables but didn't see any entries for any of the non-Microsoft ones that worked (like FireFox, as I'm assuming the MS apps would work "automatically" by default). Anyone know how this works?
body massage!
Windows key then start typing, but so does every other OS out there, I'm sure. Who cares.
Terminate and Stay Resident programs are going to revolutionize the computing experience!!
Autohotkey is not for mere mortals (end users). I just tried out the latest version. You click the "open" action on the tray icon and you'll get a grey scripting window. End users would probably want to see a mapped key summary on the default page instead.
This is a ripoff of OS X "Services" menu. When will Apple sue them?
I don't think so. I just Alt-Tab my way between windows...
A fair point
Although I havent used Enso, from the other comments it doesnt sound an awful lot easier for the 'end user'. I'm also not entirely convinced that people at that kind of level would even be aware of, or interested in, any kind of program like this.
Still, I concede that Autohotkey does require a bit more configuration than typical end users would feel comfortable with - typical slashdotters on the other hand should have no trouble
I just installed launchy from http://www.launchy.net/ today. It's open source, about 3Mb, you press ALT+Space (or whatever you choose) and up pops a dialog. Type the name of a shortcut on your start menu and it runs it. Got a calculator, a way to google something or look it up in wikipedia or whatever, a calculator, skin support, plugin support.
It seems to work well enough so far, I'm not so much recommending it (although I think you should check it out before you bother to RTFA above) as pointing out another alternative.
There's a sort of feature like this in Vista, by the way, in that there is a kind of hybrid search/run dialog on the start menu.
Not that I'm advising you upgrade to Vista, of course. Hell, I'm an Exchange admin who *has* to work in Windows 24/7 because I spend my entire life in Outlook and MMC - and I only managed 3 days with Vista before running sceaming back to XP. I know people say Vista is just "XP with eye candy" but they're wrong - it's "XP with eye candy and half a dozen things broken". One of which is MMC.
That's right, Microsoft, you just made it as hard for me to switch to Vista as it is to switch to Ubuntu.
Or, in other words, you just made it as *easy* for me to switch to Ubuntu as it is to switch to Vista.
And the XP end-of-life is Feb 2008...
~~~~~ BigLig2? You mean there's another one of me?
What I can't understand is why they chose to make people hold the caps lock key while typing commands. I'm familiar with Jef Raskin's belief in the superiority of non-modal interfaces, but I think that forcing people to make hand-crippling motions over and over is worse than entering "command mode" for a few seconds before you press enter. A foot pedal I could get behind, or possibly thumb-activated buttons, but people need their pinky fingers for typing. A palm-activated press-bar would even be okay (with the added benefit of discouraging poor typing posture, since you couldn't bend your wrists down to the desk).
They couldn't very well ship hardware to each person who buys their $25 program, but it might be viable to sell a special toggle for a few dollars more and bundle the software (which doesn't strike me as a great engineering feat) with it.
I use something that does pretty much all that stuff, except it's free. It's called CleverKeys, and you can download it at dictionary.com.
I use alt tab, the only problem is it becomes cumbersome when you have 20 or so windows open.
For example a typical day at work involves having multiple browser windows open (stupid ie6), multiple explorer windows open (different folders), multiple terminals open (no gnu screen available), email, and all the other miscellaneous apps. If I have to switch between one task to the next that usually spawns 2-3 more windows just for that task.
So I may look into this software though I'm not so sure I like the whole "hold down caps lock" idea.
So it lets you... type commands. Let me see, I can do that in my console without holding down Caps Lock.
these guys have a business plan or is this a sign that we've officially arrived back in 1999 via some wormhole? not only is this not a new idea, there is already excellent software that does this, and for free.
in this age of communication i'm just not getting through
... the one thing you can't do is write useful scripts with this, i.e. The Main Reason Why We Use Command-Line Interfaces In The First Place?
http://outcampaign.org/
Hey, it's a slightly-more-verbose and earlier-in-life version of Quicksilver for Windows!
Interesting choice of launcher key; I wonder if it's changeable. I have Quicksilver set up to watch for double-taps of Apple. I also wonder if it requires you to always type the verb first - I'm so used to just doing appleapple S P return to launch System Preferences (for instance).
The question is, how's it stack up to the other QS-ish Windows launchers? Colibri, SlickRun, and probably others... It's got nice visual design, judging from the screenshots, which is part of QS's appeal.
egypt urnash minimal art.
There really is no need for this software. Windows has the functionality already.
Just windows Key + R then type the name of the program you want to run
Most other commands can be accessed though Alt+space
People keep chiming in that they have a hotkey application which is only 3mb in size. Color me unimpressed. The application I use on a regular basis is a whopping 20kb and doesn't even need installation: http://www.bcheck.net/apps/hoe.htm I've even used it on a on a 486 box running Windows 95.
What they didn't tell you is that it's ALT-TAB!
Well, sort of. It's a Windows batch file called c.bat, which contains one line:
@perl -e "print q(%* = ), %*"
Anyone else notice the "Architect" appears not to eat his own dog food. Hint: take a look at the computer he's reading his script from?
This app is an incredible waste of money...how is it different than using win+r or alt+tab or alt+space?
While I haven't read the article (or thus I wouldn't belong on /. at all), it's hard to see that this is such a major leap beyond what an "Alt-Tab, Windows-Run" or "Start-blah", or even "^C" (cut), "Alt-Tab" (switch to Opera), "^Lg^" (open link, google and paste), would achieve. Yes, the way I do things is a few more keystrokes, but not *that* many more.
On the other hand, I'm a big fan of being able to do everything from the keyboard (hence my vi-ness), and maybe this does make it even easier; I might just check it out (if I hadn't just switched to a Mac).
Love many, trust a few, do harm to none.
If you were wanting to hijack an application to act as an attack proxy, this seems to be the ideal tool.
/. account while you were away.
You just need to work out how to trick it into accepting keystrokes that the user didn't issue.
Because it includes somekind of interpreter, it makes the job even easier, and you can target any application with almost no effort.
I suppose you might even manage to get access to someones FireFox saved passwords and start posting on Slashdot just to proove it wa possible. Eh Ch*mp?
PS. Sorry Ch*mp for 'borrowing' your
- Teaches you for opening anything I email to you!!
WTF is it with the free press on this software? My company has offered a product that does just this for YEARS, like since 1993.
Windows supports extensive keyboard hooks and applications have tapped into them for years to do everything from macroing to auto-correct abilities like MS word.
This is crap that is sounds like news, especially since Windows is one of the best OSes for complete keyboard control, with macroing, scripting, and keyboard hooks for realtime features like this product pretends is 'new'.
Geesh...
So lets see...
- Holding caps lock and typing a command: This makes typing very awkward -- try it out. Holding caps while typing != fast and easy (I type at 100-120wpm... uh, without holding the caps lock key that is)
- The uppercase example: I like this one. They give uppercasing a word in MS Word as a example. Simply hold caps lock and type uppercase.... um, or you could CTRL-U.
Having a uniform way to quickly do things in your OS is a great idea, this is not however, the way to do it.
When there are several installers, AutoIt makes all the entries so that the installers are automatic, and no user entry is necessary other than starting the AutoIt program.
Many programs with installers don't set file and folder permissions so that it is possible for limited rights users to operate the program. AutoIt can set the permissions and do everything that the installers don't do.
Firefox, for example, needs considerable configuration to be completely useful. AutoIt can make all the settings automatically, without depending on the format of configuration files. AutoIt simulates mouse movements and keystrokes and does the same job a human user would do, but without making mistakes, and much faster.
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Killing people does not create democracy. It creates heartache.
I see a lot of people missing the point of the Enso launcher program.
Just because you have a bunch of hotkeys setup doesn't matter, because the point is that they only work on your own machine. You have to remember what they are, and god forbid a program already has that key combination in use. The point of the holding the Caps Lock key down while entering your command (other than just getting rid of that damn key) is that you have no new windows to deal with, you can't think you are typing in your command when you didn't focus the keyboard on the "ENTER YOUR COMMAND HERE" window.
On top of the individual uses for the universal spell check and launcher is the whole Enso system. The system is based in such a way that it can provide system-wide commands, instead of application specific, without getting in the way. Everyone has their own solution for opening their common programs, but the Enso system goes beyond that and lets you open any program available without having to look up a key combo or directory.
I'm looking forward to seeing Enso grow even more.
I know it's fashionable to not care about spelling, pronunciation, and grammar, but when someone wants me to part with money, they really ought to not use words that they don't understand.
[100% ISO 646 Compliant]
SVM, ERGO MONSTRO.
Maybe you need WinExpose? http://www.matiasmoreno.com.ar/winexpose
I use gnome's deskbar plugin. Alt+F3 and it does everything that ENSO does.
Hey, look : Stardict
An opensource equivalent has been available for years ! And it works very well under Linux too.
Ploum.net.
Thank you so much for this link. This is exactly what I've been looking for. Recently I tried googling for a nice windoze app launcher but I couldn't find anything good. This thing is the best thing since sliced bread. I guess something good came out of this obvious slashvertisement after all!!!
Don't forget to mention Dave's Quick Search Deskbar (DQSD), it is a Javascript-based toolbar as has lots user contributed XML addons. Just download it for FREE:
http://www.dqsd.com/
I have to say it's a shame it's not free, because it's a great piece of software, but I don't think many will pay for it with dozens of free equivalents on the market.
I've been on the beta team and I have to say it functions better than any of the others I tried. It has the best discoverability of any of the launchers I have tried, drawing from several sources. The interface is the nicest I've used, using toasts that fade when the user moves the mouse and just generally being a nice experience to use. It's large, clear but doesn't often get in the way.
It's a shame it lacks somewhat in features. However there is going to be an API which I very much look forward to. I think shortly you will end up with functionality equal to the other launcher.