Find and Run Robot -- Program Launcher for Keyboard Maniacs
Posted on Monday, July 17, 2006 at 5:03 PM by Randall
If you have a large number of programs installed on your system, digging through the Start Menu for one you don't use very often can be a time-wasting operation. There really are times when just typing the program name would be much faster. Find and Run Robot is the answer. This program "helps you rapidly find programs or documents from within the depths of the start menu (or other directories). One keypress launches the utility - then just start typing the first letters of the application you want to launch. As you type the best matches are shown - just hit the number to launch the associated program." Better yet, when you activate a program or file, the program remembers this and makes that program appear more quickly the next time.
I have Find and Run Robot set to appear whenever I press Alt-Space. To run Microsoft Word, I just hit Alt-Space and type "word". As I use MS Word quite lot, Microsoft Word pops up in the first position quickly and I can press "1" to start it. If my hands are already on the keyboard, this is much faster than messing around with the mouse and menus.
Some of Find and Run Robot's feature from it's web site:
* fully customizable search paths (search your entire hard disk for files as well as apps)
* fast incremental searches, with memorized search history helps you find the files you need quickly.
* completely customizable heuristic scoring metrics - tune the program to search the way you think.
* low system overhead, doesn't mess with your registry.
* unobtrusive and stays out of your way until you need it.
* aliases allow you to define your own custom search terms to associate with specific files or groups of files
Find and Run Robot is another nice program written by the folks at Donation Coder. This means it is freeware, but donations are encouraged by requiring registration once every six months for the first year (then you get a free permanent registration) -- or once if you donate to the site. If you donate you get a registration code that works for every program on the site: forever. It's a fair way to do donationware and the site has been very successful so far.
Rating: 4.5
Operating System: Windows 95+
License:
Donationware (Donations strongly encouraged, but not required)
Price:
Free
Version Reviewed: 1.09.05
Web Site: http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/findrun/