Quick Launch Or Push Off ?

[Kas]

This is not for the faint hearted so control yourself.

I have several tiny icons next to my START button on the task bar. At the opposite side are a number of other similar icons,respectively LEFT and RIGHT.

I am told that the LT hand icons are QUICK LAUNCH. The RT hand icons cover a number of my regular services - I use them sometimes, mostly if I want an options panel up.

99.9% of my clicking is done on the larger icons spread all over my desktop.

QUESTIONS ;-

* LT hand icons. I do not see much difference in using these as against my desktop icons. IE-QL for instance seems to be in the same gear as the desktop icon. Where has all this QUICK LAUNCH gone to ?

* What use are any of these icons on the task bar ? They are all duplicates of the desktop icons, why double up ? Seems slightly redundant engineering.

* Can anybody explain precisely what QL is and how it differs from the desktop icons in terms of mouse-to-screen response path ? If this explanation is sound, why do I not see a difference between using a desktop icon and a QL ?
KAS

[Firebytes]

I like the Quick Launch bar for a few reasons:

1) I can have my desktop free from many icons (so my view of my nice decorative wallpaper is unobstructed )
2) Even when I have one or more program's windows open my shortcuts to programs are still visible without having to minimize anything or switch back to the desktop.
3) My laziness...I can open the programs by a single click on the Quick Launch shortcuts versus a double click on the desktop shortcuts.

[Sully]

Firebytes is correct. The main use is so that you can have your few most used tools in one spot that is always visible no matter how many windows are displayed. That is why the desktop icon is there. To quickly minimize all windows so you can see your desktop. As most people have shortcuts on desktop, this is very major convenience.

I also put in subfolders in quicklaunch. In these subfolders I may have either shortcuts or other subfolders with shortcuts. All categorically organized. Then, I unlock the taskbar, and resize the quickluanch area so that only desktop,notepad and cmd prompt are visible, then lock the taskbar again. This way, the quickluanch shows 3 icons and then a little double >>. Then clicking the >> opens up, similar to start>all programs, my little directories. This way, I can have many windows open, and easily be able to get to my own little organized list of tools.

Sul.

[prius04]

Agree with everything written in the foregoing posts. However, re #3, you can go into folder options and change double-click to single-click for desktop icons.

[Firebytes]

Originally Posted by prius04

However, re #3, you can go into folder options and change double-click to single-click for desktop icons.

Good tip, but I think I will leave it as is...that way I stay used to the same type of operation between my computers and others that I use on the job, etc. which I can't modify.

[AKAJohnDoe]

FWIW, I do not use the QL toolbar. Nor do I have any icons on the desktop. I created a folder, populated it with the shortcuts I wanted, and then added that as a custom toolbar. One of the shortcuts on that custom toolbar is another folder that contains subfolders that contain shortcuts as well (for the programs I use less frequently).

[LenC]

Sully -

Thank you! Nice little trick I never would have thought of - putting folders in quicklaunch.

Len

[Sully]

Originally Posted by AKAJohnDoe

FWIW, I do not use the QL toolbar. Nor do I have any icons on the desktop. I created a folder, populated it with the shortcuts I wanted, and then added that as a custom toolbar. One of the shortcuts on that custom toolbar is another folder that contains subfolders that contain shortcuts as well (for the programs I use less frequently).

Yes, you can make task bar toolbars. The will exist on the right side, by tray. I do use that for only one thing, my network shares. It points to a folder in mydocs that has common share shortcuts.

I dont like to use the toolbars much because it is so easy for them to bo byebye. I used to, but got tired of setting them back up periodically. Never did figure out why, just that it would happen. That is why I use QL, it never goes away.

Another quick tip. If my computer and my network places exist on your desktop, drag and drop them to the right or any side of your screen. It turns into a tool bar you can close. Handy to use sometimes.

Also, the most convenient thing I ever did was put a lot of options in the mycomputer context menu. It is always in the upper left of my desktop, and I usually have my windows not maximized, but resized to almost be maximized. But to never hide the mycomputer icon. If I right click that icon (context menu), I have add/remove program, network shares, users, services, and well, probably about 25-30 common tools or even applications, such as pserv. This is my favorite item on my desktop.

Sul.

[AKAJohnDoe]

Originally Posted by Sully

I dont like to use the toolbars much because it is so easy for them to bo byebye. I used to, but got tired of setting them back up periodically. Never did figure out why, just that it would happen. That is why I use QL, it never goes away.

I do not like QL because so many programs install crap there without permission.

I have never had any problems with a custom toolbar going away (I have seen that with the Built-in Windows toolbars, though). In any case, even if a custom toolbar did go away, since it is a folder already it certainly would be extremely easy to recreate.

And, of course, I lock the toolbar as well.

I tried both ObjectDock and RocketDock, and ran RocketDock for quite awhile; not anymore, though.

[MrBrian]

I have 0 icons on my desktop. I use ObjectDock to launch favorite programs and documents by icon, Launchy to launch programs, documents, and websites by name, and a categorized (by functionality) Start menu for the remainder.

[Sully]

Originally Posted by AKAJohnDoe

I do not like QL because so many programs install crap there without permission.

I have never had any problems with a custom toolbar going away (I have seen that with the Built-in Windows toolbars, though).

Yes, I totally agree about programs putting crap there. I hate that. But since I use it all the time it is easy to delete.

I wonder why I have had issues, on many computers, with custom folders being shown on the taskbar as toolbar. It is not a really common occurence. Another reason I don't like them on the taskbar, is if I want to stick a new folder/toolbar on the taskbar, I have to delete them all to get the order I want. Do you know of a way to add a new one, and then re-order them witout deleting then creating new in correct order?

Sul.

[JRViejo]

Originally Posted by Sully

Do you know of a way to add a new one, and then re-order them witout deleting then creating new in correct order?
Sul.

Sully, don't know if Taskbar Shuffle can help you but here it goes.

[pwr]

I couldn't live without quicklaunch. I have removed all icons such as My Computer, My Documents and Recycle Bin from the desktop (I have recycle bin on the quicklaunch).

This is because all I use the desktop for - is what it was probably intended for: work space. that means my desktop is often filled with all kinds of archived files, unpacked files, documents (I never use My Documents, ever) etc. etc.

For me, the desktop is an easy to access temp drive.

Then I clean it up once in a while - just as you would clean up your real-life work desk.

Of course, I have often had a wallpaper - but because of the many icons on my desktop, it often "adds to the confusion".

I am moving away from the "Oh my computer has to look pretty" phenomenon - although I can understand that one wouldn't want it to look like crap either =)

As for programs installing "crap" in quicklaunch. Well, just delete the shortcut it installs there, that is all there is to it.

[Kas]

Hi there, the response to this thread is extremely useful and much appreciated. The points raised and defined by the posts make life easier for others knowing what different users do in terms of desktop and task-bar manipulations. It is really very useful information that I am sure benefits us all when shared like this.

From the points made so far, I have the impression that QUICK LAUNCH is not really Quick Launch at all, but merely a CONVENIENCE LAUNCH, by having icons on the task-bar and visible at all times when windows are open (desktop not visible), so we can bring up these task-bar programs in multi-windows without going back to the desktop.

In other words QUICK LAUNCH is nothing to do with response times, it is no better than the desktop icons in terms of response, but simply a useful convenience.

Well, it depends whether you rate QUICK in the number of milliseconds response or just less work to do.
KAS

[PROROOTECT]

I have 1 vertical row of icons on the desktop (= 13 icons) on the left side.

In the Quick Launch I have 47 icons (yes, that too, I want to uninstall some programs ...).

If I type IE, it does not hide my row of beautiful icons.

[Sully]

Originally Posted by pwr

I couldn't live without quicklaunch. I have removed all icons such as My Computer, My Documents and Recycle Bin from the desktop (I have recycle bin on the quicklaunch).

This is because all I use the desktop for - is what it was probably intended for: work space. that means my desktop is often filled with all kinds of archived files, unpacked files, documents (I never use My Documents, ever) etc. etc.

For me, the desktop is an easy to access temp drive.

Then I clean it up once in a while - just as you would clean up your real-life work desk.

Of course, I have often had a wallpaper - but because of the many icons on my desktop, it often "adds to the confusion".

I am moving away from the "Oh my computer has to look pretty" phenomenon - although I can understand that one wouldn't want it to look like crap either =)

As for programs installing "crap" in quicklaunch. Well, just delete the shortcut it installs there, that is all there is to it.

Wow, that is so similar to what I do it is scary. I do have a few icons normally my computer, my network, trash can, and some icons that are specific to coding that i use everyday.

Otherwise, I too use my desktop as a temp directory, where I put most everything I am working on. It gets very cluttered, but usually everything is either part of a project or just trash that I don't care about. I find it much more convenient this way. I picked up a 28" lcd monitor, and it has made a huge difference in productivity this way. I totally agree about backgrounds too. I use them, but always something that enhances icons rather than plain eye candy.

pwr, you might be interested in a tool I wrote that brings a customized menu to your mouse with a hotkey. PM me if you want to know more.

Sul.

[Firebytes]

Originally Posted by Kas

In other words QUICK LAUNCH is nothing to do with response times, it is no better than the desktop icons in terms of response, but simply a useful convenience.

No, nothing really to do with regards to how fast a program opens from clicking the Quick Launch icon versus clicking the desktop icon but quick in regards to the fact that you can open a program without having to either go back to the desktop when it is hidden by an open window or having to go back through your Start Menu to find a program.

They had to call it something though. I guess Quick Launch had a better ring to it than Convenient Launch.

[AKAJohnDoe]

Originally Posted by Sully

Yes, I totally agree about programs putting crap there. I hate that. But since I use it all the time it is easy to delete.

I wonder why I have had issues, on many computers, with custom folders being shown on the taskbar as toolbar. It is not a really common occurence. Another reason I don't like them on the taskbar, is if I want to stick a new folder/toolbar on the taskbar, I have to delete them all to get the order I want. Do you know of a way to add a new one, and then re-order them without deleting then creating new in correct order?

Sul.

I seem to recall having some issues with toolbars when I ran XP; none with Vista, though.

You can simply drag/drop the icons on your toolbar into whatever order you like.