In my comments, Buzz Bruggeman made me an offer I couldn't refuse. The following are my thoughts as I installed and toured the program. I have done very little editing to this post, I haven't even read 75% percent of it other than while typing it in OneNote, so don't expect polish or grammar coherence or any of that nonsense. :)
I've heard of the program before but that is about it. I know it is some sort of productivity booster or something, and I can use all the help I can get in that area. I live at this computer and that which makes my work easier makes my life easier. So I went to the site, downloaded a 60-day trial and installed it. Installation was fast and easy. Key was emailed to me, the site offers a 60-day fully functional (I think) trial. That is plenty of time to get me hooked on this program if it is something I'll use.
Immediately after installation, it launches, adds a thin (2/3 the height of the XP title bar) bar across the top of my screen and a 6-step tutorial starts.
The bar has a box where each word I type appears as I type it. The first step of the tutorial is open a word processor (I opened Notepad2), type "name" and hit F8 (the default ActiveWords key). When I do, it replaces the word "name" with "Shannon J Hager". And, thus, only seconds into using ActiveWords, it is already proving to be useful.
The bar across the top of the screen is covering Winamp and covers the top item of the sub menus from the start menu. The "auto hide" setting takes care of that problem. [Note: later I changed it from "autohide" to just plain "hide". Ctrl+space brings up the "ActionPad" for me to type in and there is an icon in my tray that I get use to unhide the bar if/when I need it.]
ActiveWords remembered that I used Notepad2 to write in and now thinks when I want to write ("write" is an active word and can be used to launch a word processor), I want to use Notepad2. I've only done that once so now I'll see if it will override that preference if I use Word.
[brief intermission]
Nope. Write still opens Notepad2.
Memory usage: 5 processes:
- AWDirWindow.exe (8,016 K)
- AWFeedback.exe (3,292 K)
- AWLearnTrain.exe (6,952 K)
- AWMonitor.exe (9,660 K)
- AWMonitor.exe (440 K)
Next tutorial: How to add ActiveWord items. [fig 1: action types]
The tutorial is little more than "click the add button", doesn't go into it very far. The reason why is obvious when I added my first ActiveWord item. The wizard walked me through the process without encumbering nor confusing me at all. Intelligent and intuitive, these guys did a great job with the wizards. There is nothing I hate worse than wizards that make it easier to mess things up than to get them right or that have superfluous steps with content like "Step 2: okay, now we're really going to get started! Click next". There is no nonsense like that in the ActiveWords wizards.
The tutorials continued in a natural progression, quickly reaching the "How to edit ActiveWord items" where it used the "Launch my word processor" item as the example. If I had actually wanted to change my word processor choice from Notepad2 to Word, I now could (well, things are so intuitive that the tutorial isn't actually needed, but it is nice to be able to step through the tutorials to get an overview of things instead of having to hit the help files to figure things out).
I use my mouse a lot. A LOT. Instead of a jack in the back of my head, I have a mouse in the palm of my hand. ActiveWords is trying to change that. Instead of leaving the keyboard while typing, I now [ctrl+space, o, u, t, enter] to open outlook. That is SO nice. Or to open VS.NET, I do the same but type "vs" instead of "out".
I think I'm in love.
I've set up one of each type of action except for scripting. There are very few preset ActionWords items, which is a good thing. Every item I add is exactly what I want, exactly how I want it. I guess it's been about 30 minutes and I am already blown away by this program.
I don't use the new Windows XP Start Menu because it doesn't allow personalization like the "Classic" menu does. I have a tools folder with "design", "admin" and "code" subfolders. I have a folder of shortcuts to all my media players (Rhapsody, Real, QT, WMP, Winamp, VLC, MovieLink, etc). Smart Menus are fine but I want organization and I want things to be right where I expect them every time I look. ActiveWords won't replace menus completely, but it will put the programs I use the most right where I want them: under my fingers.
ActiveWords does more than just launch programs, though. I have a couple items set up as mailto: links for the handful of people I write to the most often. I have a couple web shortcuts that allow me to open a site with less work and less clicks than it would take for me to open a browser and navigate to the shortcut/bookmark using only the keyboard. I could use the mouse and do it in less clicks but that means leaving the keyboard.
ActiveWords is a seriously cool piece of software.
The text substitution was demonstrated using "name" so I naturally set up my address and an email signature next, but then I realized that this feature is also the sweetest code snippet tool I've ever used because it isn't limited to an IDE. I use Notepad2 to edit files. I use Dreamweaver on occasion. I use VS.NET for most of my .NET work, but not all of it. ActiveWords allows me to insert codesnippets into whatever I'm typing.
public string MyString
{
get
{
return _myString;
}
set
{
_myString = value;
}
}
Sweeeeeet.
This may be the coolest piece of software I've ever used.
There is even a productivity report that lists how many strokes the text substitutions save and how many total ActiveWords has saved me in keystrokes, time, and money. In other words, by the time the 60-day trial is over, this report will show whether the ROI is there or not. Unless you don't use the program at all, I don't see how this program isn't worth the money.
I just checked my email and saw that there is a "getting started" email that has a link to an autocorrect spellcheck which is my favorite Word feature. If the feature starts interfering with my coding, I'll have to turn it off.
The email also mentions the "autosense" feature which suggests ActiveWord items based on how I use programs, visit web sites, etc. If this feature works, it will make adding functionality even easier than it already is. The only item is has suggested so far is for OneNote, but I use the WindowsKey + N shortcut for that so I'm set.
I'm leaving in about 12 hours and will return in 3 or 4 days, but I will give an update on my ActiveWords experience in about a week. I haven't asked Buzz for any pointers yet, I wanted to see what the program was all about without any help, but when I return from Jersey, I'll see what tips he has for me.
In the meantime, download it, check it out for yourself, and then you can give me some tips. :)