Rick Broida
PC World November 2009
Today I saw something that made my eyes go wide: A friend reached for the mouse, clicked the Start button, and then went back to the keyboard to type the name of the app he wanted to launch.
I asked him what I considered an obvious question: "Why didn't you just press the Windows key?"
"The what key?" he responded.
Seriously? This isn't common knowledge? Apparently not, because after a quick survey of some friends and family, I discovered that few people ever bother with the Windows key, and some don't even know what it's there for.
(The horror. Time to re-up your PC World subscriptions, people!)
Needless to say, a tap of the Windows key (which on most keyboards is just to the left of the Space Bar) takes you to the Start menu, where--in Vista and 7--you can start typing to dynamically search for apps, files, e-mail, and the like.
A lesser-known use of the Windows key is to launch apps in a flash. And don't forget these three indispensable Windows-key shortcuts.
So stop thinking of that little key as some kind of wayward Microsoft marketing effort and start putting it to good use!
Launch Apps in a Flash with Windows-Key Shortcut
Rick Broida
PC World January 2009
Today, one last Quick Launch tip--one that's sure to appeal to keyboard-shortcut nuts like me. Once you've enabled the Quick Launch toolbar, a single click of any icon is all to takes to launch that program. But did you know that each icon is automatically assigned a number and corresponding Windows-key shortcut?
For example, the first icon in the toolbar (the one closest to the Start button) is linked to '1.' So by pressing Windows-1, you can launch that program right from your keyboard. Pressing Windows-2 is like clicking the second icon, and so on.
This tip works for icons 1-9. If you already have Quick Launch enabled, give it a try?
Three Keyboard Shortcuts You Need to Learn Right Now
Rick Broida
PC World October 2009
You know that Windows key on your keyboard? Most people overlook it, but that's a mistake. One press is the same as clicking the Start button with your mouse. And pressing it in concert with other keys can save you from having to reach for the mouse at all. Here are three Windows-key shortcuts you should memorize immediately:
- Windows-D - Minimizes all open windows so you can see the desktop. A second tap restores them.
- Windows-E - Opens Windows Explorer (the file-management tool, not the browser). This is much quicker than right-clicking the Start button and then Explore, or trying to find Explorer in the Start menu.
- Windows-F - Launches Windows' search tool (remember "F" for "find").
What's your favorite shortcut? I'm an Alt-Tab man, myself, but I use Windows-D and Windows-E pretty regularly.
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