Windows UI replacements/enhancements...

[Nebben]

I've tried Stardock, and the similar programs to it, and they have some cool functionality but aren't quite what I'm after.

I'm wondering if there is anything out there that does the following:

In the Quicklaunch area right next to my start button, I'd like to be able to click on the different Quicklaunch icons, but instead of launching a specific program I want them to pop up a menu. One for games, one for apps, one for several different often-accessed folders on my hard drives, etc. I want a menu to pop up that is just like the folders within the start menu. It would be a lot more intuitive and fast than going through Start->All Programs->Applications every time.

I made a quick picture with some cutting and pasting in Paint, just to better show what I mean. Forgive the crap quality of it, I don't have any decent imaging applications installed yet .

I would have a few different icons on the quicklaunch with pop-up menus like the one in the picture.


I've looked on Sourceforge a bit but can't find anything there.

My dream!

 

[BlueWeasel]

I'd love to find the same thing...unfortunately, I don't think it exists.

 

[Nebben]

Cmon, there has to be a way to do something like this...

Does anyone know of something similar, at least? I have my programs grouped into only a small handful of folders (Games, Apps, Tools, Control Panel, Network) and it would be awesome if I could eliminate the need to go into the start menu for the most part.

Yes, I am very picky, sorry.

Stardock's Objectdock is actually very nice, but I don't like how it intrudes on open programs and stuff. And there are a few programs that stay in my system tray that cause problems. And it doesn't allow a simple pop-up folder option, it only allows a spinning wheel thing that is not even close to quick :/

 

[Nebben]

The closest I've come is making Quicklaunch shortcuts to pop up folders of shortcuts, but then I'm left with an open folder that I have to close each time, which is no more quick and effective than the standard startmenu click-throughs.

Any programmers out there want to take this on? I'll pay for the program. Seriously.

 

[clickynext]

One (not quite ideal) solution is to use a few different toolbars, and drag them to their smallest length, and click the little arrow beside them to access the rest. Too bad winxp doesn't allow you to make it less than three icons displayed on each, though, so it takes up a lot of taskbar space. Maybe acceptable for those people who use a double width taskbar.

Sounds like we need KDE for Windows.

 

[FungusFeet]

Try the True Launch Bar.

 

[Nebben]

Fungusfeet -- I actually downloaded Free Launch Bar, and while I'm still configuring it, I do believe this is just what I've been looking for!

Free Launch Bar seems to be a trimmed version and it's freeware, at only ~500kb for the setup file it shouldn't be putting too much overhead on my system.

http://www.freelaunchbar.com/download.php for anyone interested

Thanks a lot

 

[IamDavid]

Talisman 2

 

[Snapster]

If you have the time/energy a windows shell replacement like darkstep can be made to do pretty much anything like that.

 

[Nebben]

I've got Free Launch Bar working exactly how I want it to, except for one thing -- I'd like to totally remove the start button. I can disable it through TweakXP, but it just leaves a blank area there and I cannot move everything into that empty space. Is there any fix for this? All the searches I just conducted result in no solution. Tons of programs to disable or hide the start button, but none to allow you to utilize the space left by it.

I used Talisman2 a long while ago, and don't remember why, but I didn't like it. Maybe I'll check it out again.

I also tried out Darkstep (or maybe it was Litestep?) several years back, don't really remember anything about it, though.

 

[stndn]

whoa.. never thought of this thing, but it looks cool for sure -D
usually i add new toolbar and put a very short name for the pop-up simulation .. but i guess this is much better -D

 

[catrats]

Originally posted by: Nebben
I've got Free Launch Bar working exactly how I want it to, except for one thing -- I'd like to totally remove the start button.

Coincidentally, from the same people that brought you True/Free Launch Bar, comes Start Killer. See if that works for you.

 

[sandorski]

Glad you got things almost sorted out, but there's (possibly) another way to do it. Using Active Desktop you can make a Webpage as your Background and pretty much setup your Interface to act like a Webpage. Thought about trying it myself at one time as I wanted Mouse-over Menus and such, but decided I didn't want to take the time to figure it all out.

 

[Malak]

So all you want to do is have one icon on the toolbar to launch a list of shortcuts to programs you want to use? You could simply create a folder, put all the shortcuts in it, and put the folder on your toolbar. That's how I have a seperate menu for all my games on my toolbar.

Litestep is a shell replacement that allows you to configure it just about anyway you can imagine, so if you want to do more then I'd suggest it. Might be best to find a theme you like then modify it though.

 

[Nebben]

I actually had just come across StartKiller a while after I posted. It mostly does the trick, but it's still possible to click the start button if you click on the very bottom of the place it would normally be. Not a big deal, but it'd be nice to be totally rid of it

Here's what my setup is like after a brief configuration. I'm sure more tweaks will come.

Tools
Games
Apps

This, combined with StrokeIt (an awesome program, if you haven't seen it) allows me to be as efficient (or lazy) as possible


Edit: fixed links, I hate that damned .extension/.EXTENSION case error

 

[clickynext]

Thanks! And it blends perfectly with the windows interface too!

 

[ActuaryTm]

Originally posted by: malak
So all you want to do is have one icon on the toolbar to launch a list of shortcuts to programs you want to use? You could simply create a folder, put all the shortcuts in it, and put the folder on your toolbar. That's how I have a seperate menu for all my games on my toolbar.

Would certainly be the solution I would implement.

That is, unless replacing the Windows shell altogether.