PointNLaunch

Even if launching an app or file may seem like a trivial, and simple task, finding it in a crowded workspace easily becomes frustrating, and you can only store so many items on the taskbar. Luckily, developers came out with solutions in the form of programs like PointNLaunch, with which to create invisible shortcuts for files which appear only when you need them to.

The first time you run the application, you’re asked whether or not to jump directly into the configuration panel, and it’s best to do so, because there’s no corresponding tray icon, and you don’t know how to bring up the launcher otherwise.

You get to configure shortcuts for nearly anything on your computer, and even online locations. All icons are stored in a dial order, and even website icons are grabbed, so you know exactly where to point your cursor to in order to launch a specific online, or offline service. You can force the application to display app name on mouseover, for more info.

Unfortunately, the number of items you can add is limited, and there’s not even the possibility to create a second menu, or run the application again for a different instance. As such, you need to decide on a total number of eight slots to fill in with a combination of shortcuts and web pages, which is a little disappointing.

Adding an item isn’t done through drag and drop, but through the settings panel, editing one of the available slots. You can use a browse dialog to select an offline location, or write down the URL in a dedicated field. There’s also the possibility to edit name, arguments, and add a custom icon.

The launcher is brought up with the help of the mouse. By default, pressing the left and right mouse buttons at the same time is the trigger, but you can also set it to launch with the middle mouse button, or one of special buttons in case you’re using a mouse with more controls.

Bottom line is that PointNLaunch comes in handy for keeping your desktop a clean place, but only if you don’t depend on a large variety of programs or web pages in your daily routine. On the other hand, it can be used as a secret place to launch specific documents or apps, but the limited space, and number of launchers leave a bit more to be desired.