Helping bigger to be better

Helping bigger to be better

Andrew O'Sullivan | 27/05/2010

As computer screens grow to the size of small football fields, dragging a mouse from one side of your desktop to the other is becoming more and more laborious. But the extra pixels, if managed well, can be great for productivity. In an agency, efficiency is key and it’s not uncommon to see two or even three displays on a desk. Here are two applications which help things run just a little smoother.

First up, allow me to introduce Launchy. With Launchy, navigating your Start Menu or rummaging through the junk on your desktop becomes a thing of the past. Just press Alt-Enter and start typing. Launchy will search your programs, shortcuts and bookmarks as you type. As soon as there’s a match, just press Enter and the chosen application loads immediately – and your hands still haven’t left the keyboard.

As an added bonus, Launchy can also search the net, carry out custom commands and even perform algebra!

WinSplit Revolution is another invaluable tool – maintaining order on a vast desktop. It makes the most of my 24’’ display, enabling shortcuts that zip my application windows around the screen. Without touching the mouse, I can place two file folders side-by-side, or refer to a PDF and an excel spreadsheet on the left while I write a proposal in Word on the right. It even makes light work of reducing Google Chrome to a manageable width (how many websites are designed to be displayed at half a metre wide?)

The built-in shortcuts use the number pad to position and resize windows, and the arrow keys to throw applications from one monitor to the other.

Both of these applications are free, open source downloads. But if they make your life easier, don’t forget to thank the developers with a donation!

tags: Tips & Tricks ,  Online Trends