Новая утилита PowerToys для улучшения поиска Windows 10 станет доступна в мае
Обновлено 19.04.2020. Как сообщает The Verge, набор инструментов PowerToys для Windows 10 получит лаунчер, аналогичный Spotlight в macOS, уже в мае этого года.
В январе этого года стала доступна техническая спецификация проекта, а в мае выйдет первая публичная бета-версия.
Ранее лаунчер был известен под названием PowerLauncher, но сейчас Microsoft просит помощи в выборе названия приложения.
Исследование, проведенное Microsoft, показывает, что большинство пользователей поиска Windows 10 хотят получить больше возможностей и больше точности. Компания отмечает:
PowerLauncher – новая утилита PowerToys, которая позволит мгновенно находить и запускать приложения. Инструмент имеет открытый исходный код и модульную структуру с поддержкой плагинов.
Новая функция PowerToys
Microsoft решила посостязаться со сторонними приложениями для оптимизации и расширения функциональности системы с помощью набора утилит PowerToys, который известен еще со времен Windows 95.
Приложение PowerLauncher предназначено для решения многочисленных проблем с поиском Windows. Одна из таких проблем связана с диалоговым окном «Выполнить» (активация по горячей клавише Win+R), которое требует от пользователя знания конкретной команды или файла. Пользователи, которые часто путались в названиях команд, просили Microsoft ввести функцию автоматического исправления ошибок написания. Теперь Редмонд решил добавить текстовые подсказки и рекомендации приложений, чтобы упростить жизнь пользователям.
За счет PowerLauncher Microsoft может вернуть доверие пользователей, если ей удастся решить проблемы, с которыми конкуренты еще не справились.
Например, возможность запускать приложение от имени администратора является критически важной функцией для PowerLauncher, поскольку данный функционал не поддерживается в сторонних лаунчерах, таких как Launchy, Alfred и Spotlight.
Лаунчер Wox для Windows
Microsoft опубликовала исходный код проекта PowerToys в GitHub. Таким образом, независимые разработчики получили возможность внести свой вклад в разработку PowerLauncher и создать собственные утилиты для доступа к папкам, приложениям, документам, мультимедийным файлам и веб-ресурсам.
Best Desktop Application Launchers for Windows 10
Windows 10 offers oodles of new features that one can explore and provides one of the best user interfaces overall. However, if you have too many important files and application programs on your desktop, it is quite obvious that you may be struggling to keep them organized. We have listed the best desktop application launcher for Windows 10/8/7. These free app or program launchers also called Docks, help you launch your programs faster and keep your desktop organized.
Many a time it exasperates if you want to search an item on the desktop which lacks icon organization. For instance, just imagine if you want to open an important file swiftly or quickly add items to the to-do list on your calendar. It’s just difficult to locate and access the program in the hotchpotch desktop icons. Also, some of you may want to launch software programs even faster simply by a succession of clicks on the keyboard.
Calling Windows 10 perfectly organized would be a stretch. However, there is always another way around and in this article, we are going to find out just that. App launchers let you launch applications by just searching them out from your desktop. This helps you in organizing your desktop as you don’t have to keep a shortcut for every single app on your computer, it also saves time as most of the apps we are going to talk about in this article can open a file, and do some other productive things.
Desktop Application Launchers for Windows 10
Be it organizing the desktop, or quick access to files or launching the programs at a fast speed by clickety-clack of the keyboards; App launcher simply works great for organizing your desktop. With an App launcher, you can make your desktop more productive by creating some free desktop space and have easy access to files without using the mouse.
1] Launchy
If you’re looking for an app launcher that simply works great on your Windows 10 and doesn’t require any setup post-installation, then Launchy is exactly the app launcher you will want to install. Launchy comes in both as a regular program and portable version. You are all ready to go upon installation. The program features a search bar with a control panel icon. If you want to open a program, simply type the name in the search bar and there you are provided with suggested matches at a fraction of seconds. Click on the appropriate program you desire to open in the search results. Along with programs, Launchy lets you open old files, folders, open web searches and also run the shell commands. You can customize Launchy with skins and plugins.
2] Appetizer
The Appetizer is a lightweight app launcher that can be installed as both the regular application or the portable version. Once installed, Appetizer lets you enter the list of programs for easy access. You can choose any programs from start menu or location of your choice. Unlike the other app launcher listed here which indexes all the programs spontaneously after installations, Appetizer would want you to add your favorite shortcuts of your choice for a quicker access. You can also customize the launcher with plugins and skins. You can download it here.
3] Executor
The Executor is a simple app launcher that occupies around 1MB of space. This tiny app occupying less space brings in a lot of features. Once you install, Executor will show up the list of recently accessed files, indexes all the installed programs, menu entries and lot more. Perched on the taskbar, you need to simply click on it and type the name of the app you want to open. Executor opens the app in less than no time. Also, it works perfectly with URLs, so if you want to access a certain website, all you need to do is enter its address, and there you have your desired site opened at the default browser in a trice.
Executor allows you to assign a keyword to a program so that the next time you want to open the same file just type in the keyword instead of a full name. You can also perform functions like revealing clipboard history and shutting down the system with app keywords. The app launcher lets you arrange keywords into groups. This is a perfect alternative to a Windows default search engine. You can also customize Executor with layouts and skins. Download it here.
4] RocketDock
RocketDock is one of the most popular app launchers as it has been used excessively back in several windows versions. This was modeled based on the Mac OS X launch bar and offers an animated response when you hover the mouse over the apps gathered on the Dock. This is perched at the top of your screen, and you can easily drag your favorite app icons to have it in one place. The dock keeps all your most favorite shortcuts intact for faster and easy access. Like other apps, you can easily customize dock with skins and other add-ons.
5] WinLaunch
WinLaunch is a free software that allows you to add an OS X like Launchpad on Windows. WinLaunch will let you pin programs, just as you do with the Taskbar. The most beautiful thing about this tool is that you can open up this launchpad or launcher using a keyboard shortcut or by simply hovering the mouse.
6] XWindows Dock
XWindows Dock takes the Mac launcher toolbar as the model and is compatible both with Windows and Mac OS. This dock is quite complicated to use initially but provides you with tremendous customization options, unlike the other docks. While like in other docks you can easily add shortcuts for easy access, the X Window docks provide you some extraordinary graphical effect options like transparency, blur, shadow, reflections and many more. The dock supports a new stack container to add some plugins with grid /fan views. Some options available in the Apple tool are also present in XWindows Dock.
7] SlickRun
The first app on our list is SickRun. It is a light app that allows you to open an application or search something out from the web.
It has some predefined keys called MagicWord, these are keywords to open certain applications, like pbrush.exe to launch MS Paint. To know more Magicwords, right-click on SlickRun’s search bar and select Setup.
Not only that you can even create your own Magicwords to open any app of your choice. To do that, click New MagicWord from the bottom left panel of the screen, type the name of the application (or keyword by which you want it to open) in the MagicWord section, drag the stick and drop in on that app, and click on the tick icon.
You can download the app from here.
8] Find and Run Robot
Find and Fun Robot is one of the best Desktop app launchers that allow you to not only launch any app of your choice but it can also open any file or image that is present locally on your computer.
However, it is not perfect, the biggest problem is that since the developers have tried stuffing all the features here, it is a bit slower than other apps on our list. However, it is still quicker than searching a file out from the File Explorer.
It has a ton of customization features and dozens of plugins. Its biggest perk is its RAM management skill, you can manually select Inactive Memory use to minimal, average, stay in the memory long by right-clicking on the icon from the taskbar and selecting Options.
You can download the app from here.
9] Keybreeze
The next free application on our list is Keybreeze. It is one of the most versatile applications and can be a SlickRun alternative.
The developers have embedded shortcut keys of over 80 applications. And most of these 80 apps are common, so, you don’t have to keep their shortcuts on the desktop, just use the keyword to launch the application.
You can download Keybreeze from here.
10] Keypirinha
One of its biggest features is that it allows you to directly open one of your bookmarks in the browser. Just type the browser name and you will see a list of all of your browsers.
It does all this at a crazy fast pace.
11] Listary
Listary is one of the best applications to launch apps in Windows 10. It is a light-weight application that works really fast.
It is similar to Spotlight for macOS. It is perfectly synchronized with other software such as WinRAR, Xplorer2, and much other such software.
You can download Listary from here.
Windows 10 Launch Patch 32 bit
The first patch for Windows 10
You’ve finally been able to download Windows 10 and said goodbye to Windows 7/8. But your still one step away from fully enjoying Microsoft’s new operating system – you still have to install the first patch.
Why you should download this patch?
The first patch for Windows 10 (official name: KB3074683) fixes some of the “day one” issues of the highly anticipated operating system – fixing bugs and optimizing code.
Unfortunately we cannot be clearer about all the bugs and problems that this patch fixes as Microsoft has decided not to give many details about the latest update to Windows 10. Don’t be too suspicious about this though, as it may simply be to protect against people being able to discover security flaws from earlier builds.
This patch is less than 200MB to download, but occupies around 1GB when installed. This version of the patch is for the 32-bit version of Windows 10 and is not compatible with the 64-bit version.
Why does Windows 10 already have a patch?
Just imagine the number of problems that Microsoft will have been able to detect and correct through people running the preview version of Win 10! By opening the operation system up to so many people with the preview program, Microsoft has been able to find and correct many problems with this patch before the OS even officially launched.
More than recommended: required
Downloading this patch for Windows 10 is not only a good idea, its essential. We know that you really want to start using your new OS, but the security and performance improvements this update offers means it’s worth waiting a few minutes longer.
