Here’s a little Quicksilver-like Windows application that beats Launchy: Dash command. Like Launchy, you use a hotkey to activate it and then type your command; both applications also auto-complete your commands, application names, etc. But where Dash command shines is in the number of its features; here is a list of the things it does (check out the YouTube clip):
Main Features
- Open any application or bookmarked website on your PC by typing a few letters of its name.
- Perform web searches without having to open or switch to your browser.
- Send email, add calendar events, etc. with a couple keystrokes and without opening any application.
- Perform operations on selected files, folders, or text: Zip them, get definitions, do searches, etc.
- Instantly search for your music and play it.
- Control windows features: Screen saver, reboot, shutdown, fonts, printers, control panel applets, etc.
- Browse your computer, open recent files or scanned documents from within Dash.
- Extend current capabilities by creating new keyword commands to open anything, scanners to auto create keywords, and plugins to perform tasks on your PC. ( More scanners and plugins coming soon! )
Big difference though between Launchy and Dash command: Launchy is OSS and is free, Dash command comes in a crippled freeware version, but if you wanna make use of its features, you’ll have to pay - currently US$19.95, supposedly a saving of US$30 (that might be a marketing gimmick coz I cannot imagine people paying 50 bucks for it). At 20 dollars though I think I’ll give it a go …
More Characteristics
- Simple, smart and skinnable interface.
- Virtually no CPU usage and small RAM footprint (aprox. 3MB when idle).
- Dash autocompletes everything you type within the context you are in. (Ex. Email addresses when sending an email, recent folders when doing a file operation, recent searches when performing a Wikipedia query, etc.)
- Interactive hints. Dash tells you what to do next, each step of the way.
- Choose from included skins, or make your own.
- Get file information.
- Image preview.
- Access the clipboard and selected items from Windows File Explorer to perform taks on them.
- Contextual history.
- Add your own keywords to launch, search, open, reach websites, or perform tasks.
- Scan your computer or the web and automatically generate keywords from files or web data.
- Create and search through categories for scanned items.
- Create complex commands that require multiple arguments using contextual autocompletion and automatic history.
- Edit keywords.
- Adjust preferences like hotkey, autorun, etc.
- Single key access to the command line and My Computer, for file browsing.
- Create plugins both to perform tasks and to scan for information.
- SDK and many developer oriented features to allow easy development of plugins and complex keyword commands.
- Automatic Updates.
- 3 Full Licenses per purchase so you can install Dash in the computers you use.
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