Sometimes you don't realize the shortcomings of a tool you use every day until someone comes along and redesigns it. OrdinarySoft did just that with something so ubiquitous that most of us don't even think about it. Keep reading to learn how a new Start menu for the Vista operating system can help you get more done, with greater efficiency.
Contributed by Joe Eitel Rating: / 5 December 23, 2008
Many of us are pressed for time, and we depend on technology of all kinds to make our lives easier and our days run more smoothly. Stumbling upon new software that enables you to organize and manage every program, document, folder and other existing software on your computer easily and effortlessly sounds like a dream come true, right? Well, the good people at OrdinarySoft, a software development company specializing in a customer-oriented approach to software solutions, have succeeded at creating software that makes your life and your time on your computerthatmuch easier: the Vista Start Menu.
OrdinarySoft’s Vista Start Menu is being heralded as the most convenient alternative currently available to the Microsoft standard start menu. Many may be wondering: who cares about redesigning the Start menu? Isn’t it fine the way it is? Well, one would think so … that is, until they use theVista Start Menu.
Design
Essentially, the new Start menu makes things on you computer more easily accessible, but the way in which it does this is what has everyone in an uproar. The software was designed with the human cognitive abilities to memorize locations and recognize images in mind. The reasoning is that the same process that enables you to see the Eiffel Tower and immediately be able to place it in the city of Paris in your mind, is the same process that will take place when you view the new Start menu, making accessing your documents and programs easier and more efficient.
The Vista Start Menu claims to enable all users to access all available applications and files on their hard drive in just one or two clicks, thus significantly speeding up workflow. Actually, it’s not just a claim, it’s absolutely true, and furthermore, the Vista Menu can also act as your starting point for any and all work done on your computer.
The software, which is compatible with Windows Vista, Windows XP and all other modern Windows platforms, has an incredibly flexible user interface that offers the most efficient service. You can easily customize the menu according to your own personal needs and preferences, which is not possible with the standard Windows menu.
As mentioned previously, the Vista Start Menu is not only a menu, but it can also act as the starting point for accessing all programs and files on your computer. You can even add items you use more often to the main menu or create additional tabs for this purpose -- and it should come as no surprise that the Vista Start Menu has been improved with the addition of tabs. Now, every portion of the menu can contain numerous tabs so you can organize your programs and files any way you desire. Your less-important programs need not take up space in the menu anymore, though you can still easily access them if necessary.
You can also access any remote corner of your PC with just a few mouse clicks. The Command Line integrated into Vista Start Menu allows you to search through your applications and files -- and even the Internet -- just by pressing the required keys. The Menu handles the search and provides you with a list of the results.
The Menu even includes an innovative, quick-launching method that was developed specifically for power users. This unique feature allows you to organize your list of applications into groups consisting of nine items, with each group assigned a letter you need to press in order to highlight it. Then, using your keyboard, simply enter the number appearing next to the program’s name. There is no need to memorize shortcuts or key combinations to start a program when you can simply follow the prompt; because your programs will never change position, you will intuitively remember frequently-used combinations and launch programs instantly without even thinking about it.
You can also move theVista Start Menuto any convenient location on your screen or to another monitor, and programs installed within the past week will be automatically color-highlighted for easier recognition. Since the items never change their menu position, you will always know where to find them the next time you need them.
Many would argue that the features don’t really matter on excellent software that can be downloaded for free, though the Vista Start Menu’s intuitive features are worth mentioning, as are thePro version’s, which can be obtained from thesitefor a mere twenty dollars. As mentioned previously, the design of the software was inspired by human cognitive abilities, so it allows users to mentally process a large amount of information and accomplish their tasks as a result of their ability to recognize images and memorize locations visually as well as their ability to reflexively recall actions.
For instance, when you add or remove a menu item, the position of all other icons in the menu are not altered as with the standard Windows menu; they remain in the same order. The space that was occupied by the removed icon will later be replaced by a newly-installed item. After having located an item once, you will be able to access it much faster next time because you will intuitively remember it based on its location in the menu.
Recognizing images is an innate ability of the human brain that develops naturally even before reading skills are developed. That is why it is much easier and faster to find one particular image out of a hundred than to read through one hundred names. Designed around this intuitive ability, the One-Click Launch feature was implemented into the Vista Start Menu. It replaces the generic folder icon with the application’s icon, so you see a list of icons instead of an inconvenient list of program folders. All that is necessary to launch a program is to click on an icon or wait until a sub-menu appears if you require access to additional program files.
Essentially, this enables users to start up desired applications much faster. Reflexes play a significant role in a human activity. Reflexive actions leave us space for more important thoughts, while our subconscious fulfills all the routine tasks. The Vista Start Menu was developed in such a way that the more often you use the application and work with the keyboard, the more you sharpen your reflexes. Eventually, you will not even notice how you started the program, as it develops into a reflexive action.
The Pro version of the Vista Start Menu also includes some very helpful features, like for example its one-click launch ability. To start an application in the standard Windows menu, first you need to find the program’s folder and then choose the main file in the sub-menu andthen launch the program itself. Vista Start Menu streamlines this process by automatically searching through the list of programs in the Start menu and identifying the main file. To start the desired program, you simply need to click on its icon.
Another excellent aspect of the newVista Start Menuis its uninstall feature. As a rule, uninstalling a program requires opening the Control Panel and removing it manually. Vista Start Menu bypasses this process; all you need to do is right-click on the program you want to uninstall and then select Uninstall. Lastly, Pro enables users to take full advantage of menu tabs, which organizes menus in a way you find the most convenient. You can easily increase the number of tabs and change their positions, names and order according to your needs and taste.
It seems a bit dramatic to say given the subject matter, but it’s without exaggeration that the Vista Start Menu will change your life. In the big scheme of things, it won’t change the world, but it will change yours. If you’re like most Americans, you spend a lot of time on your computer, which means your desktop and various folders have countless opportunities to get chaotic and messy.
How many people literally have dozens of programs listed on their Start menu? Countless, surely. How much time has been wasted looking for the program you want and need? It probably amounts to hours. Technically, these are small nuisances, but they are nuisances that affect our productivity and work flow -- not to mention the fact that scrolling over countless narrow columns searching for a specific program is an annoying, tedious task thateveryonewants to avoid. The Vista Start Menu allows users to instantly find what they need, despite having large amounts of information stored on their computers. Not only that, the Menu is incredibly effective for advanced users and ridiculously easy to use for beginners.
While it’s true that the newVista Start Menuis a pretty amazing piece of software, it does have one glaring flaw: users are limited as to how much they can customize their software, unless they upgrade to the pro version. There are dozens of customization options on the free version, though they pale in comparison to what’s available on Pro. Thankfully, upgrading only costs twenty bucks. Even in these times of economic hardship, that’s a pretty decent deal.
Controlling the Vista Start Menu
