Comments on: Top 7 Unknown Free Launcher Applications for Windows

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:17:34 +0000

I recently started using 7APL - it's an application launcher made specifically for Windows 7 with some great features (hot keys, JumpList support, thumbnails, profiles, etc).

By: Purpz

Purpz — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 22:06:22 +0000

i’m using Magic Words.. it looks similar to SlickRun but is an Open Source project.. it gets the job done for me..
http://code.google.com/p/magicwords/

By: diogo

diogo — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:11:38 +0000

enso

By: gadget00

gadget00 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:12:08 +0000

Im a die hard fan of Enso Launcher. Ive been using it since february and never looked back ever since. I had to get accostumed not to use the caps lock as often as I did, but the result is worth it. Now my desktop doesnt have any shortcut for applications, and the usability is quite “humane” as they propose. Im just waiting for them to finish opening the source code, to see how they do that and what else can be done with it.

By: Aibek

Aibek — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:06:28 +0000

In case someone interested here is the link http://www.doxiware.com/products/smartstartmenu/

By: ryan

ryan — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:07:12 +0000

You forgot the unknownest [sic] of them all!
The one everyone has, and none has to install.
It is quick, simple, and free for anyone on Windows.
(now you’re thinking, “what is this?”)

What I’m talking about is creating a Windows Toolbar. You should try it!

Here’s how:
1. Create a folder wherever on your computer, with whatever name.
2. Fill that folder with shortcuts to what ever (create shortcuts by right-click>New>Shortcut and/or copy and paste shortcuts from your start menu)
3. Unlock taskbar (blue bar on bottom in XP) by right-clicking taskbar and unchecking “Lock the Taskbar”
4. Create new toolbar by right-clicking taskbar>Toolbars>New Toolbar…
5. Select folder you created. It will now appear on the rightside of the taskbar (by the clock).
6. Drag the toolbar onto your desktop (don’t drag onto program). It’ll become a box window.
7. Drag the box onto the side of your screen (either left, right or top) and it’ll dock itself.
8. Right click it to control it. For example, large/small icons, text/no-text, autohide/no-autohide, always on top or not, etc.

It’s fast and you can create many of them (just repeat steps). You can dock them together or separately. You can also just make them a part of your start menu.

It’s just not flashy, and doesn’t have variable icon sizes (just two sizes). But very useful nevertheless.

By: Sean M.

Sean M. — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 05:24:55 +0000

I’m personally a Launchy fan, although I can see how some people might prefer different styles and methods of launching applications. For me Launchy is everything I could want in a small, free, nice looking package.

By: Ram

Ram — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 03:56:47 +0000

Microsys launcher is just what I need.
It sits in the taskbar and gives me a pop-up menu that has my customized lists of application shortcuts. It aslo allows virtual folders and links to files. What more do you need? Type in the name of the application? Too much effort, I’d rather click through.

Get it at: http://www.mirco-sys.dk

By: PerkW

PerkW — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 03:32:10 +0000

With all respect to Alfred, he misses the thrust of this post. Launchy was mentioned in the beginning of the post and is extremely popular, but there are some people whose organization gene just favors other, less-traveled methods. Poster “heart”, for instance, favors jetToolBar (a utility I have used), which is nothing like Launchy.

And I, too, have tried Launchy/FARR/SlickRun, but found that I need a program launcher that is more static and organized, not so free-form. I use two programs that have been around for years but never seem to make it on anyone’s radar: DonationCoder’s Launch Bar Commander and PowerPro 4.8 by Bruce Switzer. With the former I have a thin (25-pixel-high) stay-on-top strictly-text Mac-like toolbar at the top of the screen with drop-down menus and sub-menus that organize and sub-organize the dozens and dozens of programs that I have on my computer. With the latter I have a pop-up graphic-icon button-bar that hides at the bottom of the screen and has the couple-dozen programs I use most often (and, this program falls into the “geeky” stage where the more you delve the more you find that it does). Interestingly, each program can have multiple toolbars which can be either text-based or graphic-based – I use them according the way I view their strengths. Your mileage may vary…

By: Womble

Womble — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:01:29 +0000

Another vote for Launchy.

I suppose it depends how many apps you have on your computer but Launch bar’s/Menu’s are a thing of the past for me, they are just too inefficient if you have a lot of software installed.