Toolbar Shortcuts

[djst]

Why can't it just function like a normal shortcut and launch the file or program?

Becuse it would make cr/hackers and viruswriters all over the world sing and dance in joy since they could now easily break into your computer.

What about .msi files?

Have you checked if there is an open bug for it?

No, and I won't search for it either, because I find it convenient to be able to launch it. I just wish .exe files could be launched that easily too.

[autumnriver]

Well, well.

I'm just a user, not a tweaker. Since I use the browser more than any other application, say 97% of the time, it would be handy to be able to open anything from the browser in one direct click, instead of several clicks one way or the other. I do keep some handy programs in the tray for this purpose.

Now the coders of Powerdesk, who understand these things, wrote their program so you could launch from it. (If you don't know this program, it's a poweful replacement for Windows Explorer. With it, I can do just about anything with one click. Wish I could do that from my browser, since it's the app I use most of the time.

But I guess the imagination is too much....

I sorta guess that app coders eventually will get this as users find it handy to be able to launch what program they want without having to close windows, etc.

There are zillions of little utilities people have written to help with managing the desktop, making it handier to launch what you want....but none of them, none of them gents, do it with one click, except Powerdesk. With that app I can just drag any executable icon to the toolbar, and it's there to use, always, in one click. And I choose what I want to have on my toolbar.

Believe me, nothing else beats it for convenience.

Phoenix does this for URL links, only. Why not for whatever the user would like to have on the toolbar?

I mention all this because we're halfway there...we can drag the icons to the toolbar, but not use them unless they are URL links.

Of course if the idea has to be that a browser can only be a browser....or is this Microsoft?
-autumn

[asa]

There are zillions of little utilities people have written to help with managing the desktop, making it handier to launch what you want....but none of them, none of them gents, do it with one click, except Powerdesk. With that app I can just drag any executable icon to the toolbar, and it's there to use, always, in one click. And I choose what I want to have on my toolbar.

Believe me, nothing else beats it for convenience.

You rely on a single toolbar within one particular app for launching all of your other application and call that convenient? Wow. What do you do when that one app isn't running? Do you have to keep it running at all times to get at your other applications?

On Win32, OS X and Gnome/GTK Linux there exists an entire OS feature that seems to me to do just what you want. There is a toolbar that can hold all of your app shortcuts, be visible at all times (even when all of your other apps are closed) and can lauch all of your apps with a single click.

What apps do you launch from this Powerdesk app? Do each of them have a toolbar that lets you launch any other application? Should every app you use have a toolbar with shortcuts to launch every other app you have?

It seems to me that most of the graphical desktops have settled on the same basic approach for this. On Windows it's called the Quick Launch toolbar and it can live in the Taskbar (where most people keep it) or it can live anchored to any of the other sides of the desktop. On Gnome Linux it's called the Panel. On GTK Linux it's called the Kicker. On Mac OS X it's called the Dock. All of these OS tools "do it with one click" and offer extremly simple means for adding new shortcuts/launchers.

--Asa

[xfranky]

On Windows it's called the Quick Launch toolbar and it can live in the Taskbar (where most people keep it) or it can live anchored to any of the other sides of the desktop.

That's me... I keep the taskbar on the top and the quick launch bar (with, by now, 21 links to apps...) on the bottom of the screen...

[Alex Bishop]

On Windows it's called the Quick Launch toolbar and it can live in the Taskbar (where most people keep it) or it can live anchored to any of the other sides of the desktop.

You can even have it in a floating window. Completely pointless, mind you.

[Stefan]

... Powerdesk ... it's a poweful replacement for Windows Explorer.

Exactly. And Phoenix is a browser.

Wish I could do that from my browser, since it's the app I use most of the time.

As I already stated the Quick-Launch-shortcut-bar is the built in feature in windows you are looking for. It's available 100% of the time, even when you are NOT using your browser.

I sorta guess that app coders eventually will get this as users find it handy to be able to launch what program they want without having to close windows, etc.

You don't need to close any windows to use the Quick-Launch-shortcut-bar, it's always on top unless you specifically change that behaviour.

but none of them, none of them gents, do it with one click, except Powerdesk.

Of cource not counting the BUILT IN AVALABLE BY DEFAULT Quick-Launch-shortcut-bar that I alread stated in a previous post is what you are looking for.

With that app I can just drag any executable icon to the toolbar, and it's there to use, always, in one click. And I choose what I want to have on my toolbar.

Now, repeat slowly after me Quick... Launch... shortcut... bar...
It has everything you are looking for.