Scott Hanselman's Computer Zen - SlickRun and QuickSilver

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SlickRun and QuickSilver

Posted 2005-11-22 06:00 PM in Musings | Tools.

Bayden Systems - Registration - Mozilla Firefox I just got a chuckle out of this. When you install the glorious SlickRun, after installation when it says "Will you reward the developer with a moment of your time?" and click Yes, you're taking to a simple registration screen. Apparently I've pimped SlickRun so much that I'm an option under "Where did you hear about this product." That's so cool. I love this tool.

So, if you're running SlickRun, it's time for you to download the SlickRun 3.9 Beta! After you install, give him this kind gentleman your first name and tell him where you heard about SlickRun! :)

Another SlickRun tip, as you've probably added MagicWords of your own. There's a number of "QRS" files that you can download, there's just a little hidden below the fold on the Bayden site. Scroll down a bit on this page and download pre-built MagicWords for reference, news, shopping and some windows applets. On the "Other Utilities" page there are some nice command line utils that make nice SlickRun MagicWords as well like "DumpTrash," the garish but functional "SlickCal," WebCreds that lets you log on to WebSites from the command line, and "ShowOrRun" that conditionally runs or activates an application.

Now, if only SlickRun looked more like the Mac's QuickSilver...that'd be a damned sexy app. Maybe I'll write it in Avalon...

Tracked by:
"Interesting Finds" (Jason Haley) [Trackback]
"Quicksilver for Windows - Eh...soon...Colibri is close" (ComputerZen.com - Scot... [Trackback]

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 10:39:10 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

SlickRun is nice, but I don't see why the regular Windows-R Run menu couldn't be superclassed to do the same exact stuff:

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000378.html

That'd be more useful, IMO, than Yet Another Window With Crap In It.

Jeff Atwood

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 10:53:14 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

I use SlickRun on my Windows computer at work, and QuickSilver on my iBook at home. The biggest edge QuickSilver has over SlickRun, in my opinion, is that you don't have to set up keywords. You don't have to configure it. QuickSilver automatically scans your /Applications directory, along with some others, so you can launch any app on your computer without doing any configuration.

Before you say, "Well, that's the Mac--that's different," you could have your Avalon version automatically scan your Start menu, so after installing you press your hotkey, start typing the human-readable name of the app (as it appears in the Start menu), it shows the matches as you type, and press Enter. I keep meaning to write that app, as soon as I get time . . . . .

Rob Warner

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 11:20:13 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

Quicksilver does a LOT more than just launch applications. Check out the plugin list.
http://docs.blacktree.com/quicksilver/plug-ins/plug-ins

You can use it to access and search your Delicious bookmarks, control iTunes, or start a new email.

Scott

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 12:12:49 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

--
Before you say, "Well, that's the Mac--that's different," you could have your Avalon version automatically scan your Start menu, so after installing you press your hotkey, start typing the human-readable name of the app (as it appears in the Start menu), it shows the matches as you type, and press Enter. I keep meaning to write that app, as soon as I get time . . . . .
--

No need, 'cuz that's exactly how the Start Menu in Vista works.

And it's about f***ing time.

Jeff Atwood

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