Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Productivity, Freeware, Search
Start++ Makes Vista's Start Menu Wicked Useful
by Lee Mathews Sep 16th 2008 at 2:00PM
Besides, once you download and install Start++ the search box will be kicking so much ass you won't believe it.
Start++ adds a number of handy functions. For a start, you can set up custom keywords to perform search operations. By default it will recognize g (Google), y (Yahoo!), l (Live Search) w (Wikipedia), and imdb ('nuf said).
Type g[space] your search text, and Start++ will display results right in the start menu. You're even able to switch views between web, news, blog, and image seamlessly. Text and links can be highlighted and copied with ctrl + c, though right clicking does not work.
Setting up new keywords is a snap, and the sky's the limit.Start++ can also be extended by installing plugins, and there are quite a few available for download. Commands of interest include the MS knowledge base (just enter a KB number), YouTube search, MSN Weather, and Start/Stop services. There are also gadgets available, like Digg (doesn't work 100%) and PocketTweets, which provides an excellent, streamlined interface to use Twitter in the start menu.
I also love the developer's choice to include sudo in the app's functions. Need to run a command with elevated privileges? Preface it with sudo, and Vista will run it with admin rights. Slick!
Now, Start++ isn't perfect. It did quit displaying results a couple times, but closing and re-launching the application got it going again. To me, it's a minor inconvenience, and not something that will make me uninstall it..
I haven't always been the biggest fan of Vista's redesigned start menu, but Start++ transforms it into something that is beautifully useful. If you're a Vista user, this is well worth a download.