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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."
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
It's just you.
From the article: You lose the normal use of the Caps Lock key.
That is easily the best feature of the entire program.
So what it can do that csh cant?
Automate a series of commands in Windows.
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.
And there you have it! Poor man's Unix!
Terminate and Stay Resident programs are going to revolutionize the computing experience!!