Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Apparently in their spare time, Microsoft employees still work on techie projects. These projects are called “Community prototypes.” The first such prototype, from Office Labs, is called Speed Launch. This program allows users to download the program and utilize it to work as a quick-start activation program.

It works with any file, website or program.  Users simply drag what they want to add to the program to the Speed Launch “Bull’s Eye” to create a shortcut, and name it. Then, whenever they want to access a shortcut,  simply press Windows-C and type the shortcut name…and voila!  There you go.  You are also able to use the program to open multiple items with the same name. Simply give the items the same name in the “naming stage” of the process, and when prompted to replace or merge the files, select merge.  That way, when you select that file name from the bull’s eye, any files given that name will open for you.

While personally, I don’t see the real major perk in Speed Launch for replacing bookmarks, I do however see where it could be useful for replacing finding files. Often searching through Explorer is an arduous task at best. Especially in Vista. (sorry Vista fans). Users that have reviewed Speed Launch so far seem to have all positive remarks about the program, gushing about how it is saving so much time in their workday. No, I haven’t taken the plunge to downloading another Microsoft product onto my machine until it’s been out there a little while longer. But I’d be very curious to hear any reader responses that have tried it, and how you like it. Although, the fact that it is in fact an actual Microsoft application and not a third-party application just may ease the minds of several.

Via [on10]