QuickStart 1.10 released

  • Thread starter Thread starter Matthew Henry
  • Start date Start date
M

Matthew Henry

http://www.digiarch.org/quickstart.html

A non-graphical (i.e., not some clunky menu or toolbar) application
launcher.

You can now specify it not to index apps with certain keywords like
"license" or "uninstall", thus insuring that I will never again
accidentally start uninstalling winamp when I intend to run it.

QuickStart is nag-free donationware.
The author is pretty responsive to suggestions.
I use it all the time on all my computers. It rulez.
 
http://www.digiarch.org/quickstart.html

A non-graphical (i.e., not some clunky menu or toolbar) application
launcher.

You can now specify it not to index apps with certain keywords like
"license" or "uninstall", thus insuring that I will never again
accidentally start uninstalling winamp when I intend to run it.

QuickStart is nag-free donationware.
The author is pretty responsive to suggestions.
I use it all the time on all my computers. It rulez.
Click to expand...

Kinda sounds like going back to the old DOS days...
 
The prog might look eye-catching to try, for novelty. Too bad it
isn't (pure) freeware.
Click to expand...

Not too many "freeware" programs these days that don't ask for, or at
least give you the option of, a donation.

Mozilla does, 2x explorer does, Doxygen does, Filezilla does, BitTorrent
does, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc
Kinda sounds like going back to the old DOS days...
Click to expand...

Yep, I started using it on my laptop cos I hate the stupid touchpad, and
found this was a much faster way to launch my apps. Then I noticed,
it's also much faster on my computers where I use a mouse than to grab
the mouse and point and click. Granted, it doesn't do anything you
couldn't do by creating a bunch of batch files in a directory that's in
your path. But a word processor doesn't do anything you couldn't do
with a pen and paper either. ;-) The point is, it's easier.
 
I've spent a fair amount of time looking at keyword oriented launchers
similar to QuickStart (www.digiarch.org/quickstart). I even started
to write one with quite similar specs. Then I found QS. It is not
perfect but it is good. QS has only a few well chosen options. I'd
like to see a few more. Other examples of its shortcomings: overly
brief documentation is a problem for those evaluating QS or getting
started; prior install path is forgotten; overly busy/cramped
interface without a context menu; autoexpand flaw, extra
click/keystroke is required in several places. There is nothing that
can't be done in several other ways (e.g., a predefined search on
multiple directories) but QS is convenient and quick.

Amusing Bug? Feature? Refreshing Candor? -- The PadCheck Update Wizard
shows installed version as 1.9.2, PAD version as 1.10.4, and notes
"QuickStart is up-to-date." Given the described minor changes, I find
that refreshingly honest (even if this turns out to be a bug rather
than a feature). The Wizard even notes the most recect change
(although not cumulative) -- yet another example of good but not
perfect design.

I do one straightforward and one quirky thing that make QuickStart
even more useful to me. First, you can specify an additional
directory to include in the search/autoreduce. I include a few
folders that contain frequently used but temporary shortcuts --
freeware that I am investigating, purchase info about 11g wireless
routers, a partially implemented alternative start menu structure.
Second, I add an abbreviation as a suffix to frequently used shortcuts
-- "Search Download Manager Dirs - SDLM". I can use it almost as if I
had defined a multikey hotkey while at the same time seeing only the
items that partially qualify. For example typing "acf" will display
"Google archive Alt.Comp.Freeware - "GGACF" and "Google archive
Alt.Comp.Freeware Search - GGACFS" along with a number of other menu
and favorite items with "acf" in them. Typing "ggacf" instead narrows
the choice to two. I could use either the down arrow or mouse to
select the item I want, but I prefer to just type space or "s" to
narrow the choice to one.
Kerodo <[email protected]>:
Click to expand...

Not at all -- at least none of my DOS UIs were so nice. (Fair notice,
I'm neither a mouse addict nor a command line geek.)
Except those didn't make you run a mystery installer.
Click to expand...

Unfortunate, that, especially given the paucity of documentation.
Nor have Paypal Clickme's as part of the program interface.
Click to expand...

Did this change from v1.9 to v1.10? Donation request only appears on
About and one page Help. Even the update check and tray context menu
are request free in v1.9.
The prog might look eye-catching to try, for novelty. Too bad it
isn't (pure) freeware.
Click to expand...

Asking politely for a donation in two rarely seen places while
allowing commercial use is close enough to cost-free software for me.
An "eye-catching ... novelty" (pejorative implication)? Clearly not
in the eye of this beholder.

BillR
 
(e-mail address removed) (BillR):
Kerodo <[email protected]>:
QuickStart is nag-free donationware.
Kinda sounds like going back to the old DOS days...
Click to expand...
[...]
Nor have Paypal Clickme's as part of the program interface.
Click to expand...
http://www.digiarch.org/quickstart/screenshot.gif
Click to expand...

Did this change from v1.9 to v1.10?
Click to expand...

It's you who evaluated it. Ask the author. Maybe you'd be motivated to
advise him to update his screenshot.
An "eye-catching ... novelty" (pejorative implication)?
Click to expand...

[Too interesting too snip.]
 
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