AppRocket offers Windows users the ability to quickly launch or browse files without lifting a hand from the keyboard. Do you know how many seconds per day we waste passing our hands from the keyboard to the mouse/trackpad and back? Using AppRocket, we can now quickly locate, launch, or search for files on our Windows computers. I’ve found this especially handy for browsing Del.icio.us bookmarks.

Step one: Blast-Off!

Download the latest AppRocket release from here. The application has a 30-day evaluation period with a one time $18 fee thereafter. AR comes pre-configured and ready to launch after installation. The default configuration settings will allow the average user quick access to files in their ‘My Documents’, Desktop, Start Menu, Program Files, and browser bookmarks. Feel free to explore the ‘Preferences’ and ‘Configuration’ settings to tweak AR for your own needs.

Step two: Adjusting Your Desktop

It took about 5 minutes to fully adjust to having access to all of my applications and files within seconds without using the mouse. The default activation keys are ‘Alt + Spacebar’, similar to Quicksilver and Spotlight’s ‘Cmd + Spacebar’. For those that prefer a minimalistic desktop, you can now remove the Quick Launch from the taskbar as well as any desktop shortcuts.

If your Quick Launch panel is visible, right-click on the Windows taskbar and click ‘Properties’. In the following window uncheck the “Show Quick Launch”. In addition, any desktop shortcuts to applications can also be moved to the trash by dragging the icons into the Recycle Bin.

On the initial run AppRocket will be located at the top and middle of your screen. You can drag the search bar anywhere along the top of the screen. I moved mine to the right corner [to remind me of Spotlight]. By default the bar is set as always visible. To change visibility, click the small square box which opens a drop down menu. Untick the ‘Keep Drawer Open’. While your in the menu, make sure that ‘Always on Top’ is ticked to keep the search bar visible when active.

To get the most out of AppRocket you’ll want to teach the application which programs you access most. AR learns which key combinations you activate certain applications with and remembers them for future launches. For example, typing ‘FF’ – for Firefox – will most likely pull up a long list of files, programs, and folders. Use the arrow keys to scroll down the list until you find Firefox. Activate the application by pressing the ‘Enter’ key. From then on AR will associate ‘FF’ with Firefox. The following are a few of my personal shortcuts for applications and folders:

‘ff’ – Firefox
‘fd’ – FeedDemon
‘it’ – iTunes
‘cmd’ – Command Line
‘md’ – My Documents
‘ues’ – UNEASYsilence Mozilla bookmark via Foxylicious/Del.icio.us

Learn to navigate your folder hierarchy with the arrow keys after conducting a search. Use the left arrow key to browse up a folder and the right arrow key to go deeper into the folder. Check out the online help here.

Step three: Mission Accomplished

That’s it. The application is easy enough to figure out. I spent about 20 minutes configuring the application to index specific and ignore certain areas of my HD. I’m still brewing up more ideas for getting more use out of AR. I’ve configured Firefox and AppRocket to allow me to quickly find and open my Del.icio.us marks.

Extra: Livesearch Del.icio.us Marks Locally

Utilizing Foxylicious – a Firefox extension for storing Del.icio.us marks locally – and AppRocket, I have access to hundreds of my Del.icio.us links within seconds. The default AR settings already index Mozilla bookmarks automatically. The only thing you have to do is load your Del.icio.us links into Firefox.

Install the Foxylicious extension here. After restarting Firefox go to Bookmarks > Manage Bookmarks. Create a folder called Del.icio.us. The next step is syncing your marks with Firefox. Go to Tools > Foxylicious. In the following window prompt, enter your Del.icio.us username and password. Specify your Del.icio.us folder location and for organization check the ‘Normalize Tags To Lower Case’ option. Click the ‘Update Bookmarks’ button and relax while your marks are downloaded.

AppRocket should automatically update its index to reflect your newly added Del.icio.us marks. If your marks are not updated within a few minutes, try restarting the application. If the index is still not showing your bookmarks move on to this next step:

Export your Firefox bookmark collection to your desktop using the Manage Bookmarks from the previous step. After you backup is saved to the desktop, delete your current bookmark collection in Firefox. Re-import your backup bookmarks and AR will automatically index the new collection. I’m not sure if AR inability to index downloaded Del.icio.us marks via Foxylicious right away is an isolated case (b/c of my computer settings) or something more widespread. I emailed Candy Labs support and have not yet received a reply. Subsequent updates via Foxylicious are updated in AR. I usually update my local bookmarks to reflect my Del.icio.us account on a daily basis.

Conclusion

After using AppRocket for the past few days, I’ve come to the conclusion that quicklaunch applications can prove to be advantageous for a simple, hassle free computing experience. As with any new application, there are a few areas left for improvement. Test it out for yourself and let the developers know what you think. I can honestly say that since installing AppRocket my mouse pointer has not clicked on the Windows ‘Start’ button.

Update: I was looking for a way to use AppRocket to compose a new Gmail message on the fly. I figured out by creating a simple HTML document which AppRocket could index, I could easily compose a new Gmail message. Right-click and save the following HTML document here and save it in the folder of your choice. You’ll have to configure AppRocket to index the folder. You’ll also need to create a new filter for files with an .html extension.

Disclaimer: I have no connection or affiliation whatsoever with Candy Labs nor was I paid or asked to promote this application. As a strong believer in open source and ‘free’ software, I have failed to find a free alternative which could provide similar features. If anyone has come across comparable open source software, please share! Until then, be resourceful.