If you like having full control over your most often used applications and launching them using your keyboard, then this is definitely for you. And I’m not even talking about a large keyboard with a dozen of extra buttons. All you need is a simple piece of software and a standard keyboard. The latter I’m sure you’ve got covered already; as for the former, you’ll find it right here. It’s a simple, free and easy to use application called KeyboardLink.

The name says it all: this useful utility is designed to help you make your own set of hotkeys for controlling your media player, launching your web browser and Office applications. KeyboardLink sits comfortably in your system tray and, with a right-click on its icon, you can access the settings panel that will allow you to configure the key combinations.

The available options for the master keys are Shift, Control (Ctrl), Alt and Win while for the rest of the combinations, you can select any key you like. It’s also worth mentioning the fact that KeyboardLink’s interface can be displayed using five languages: Danish, English, Italian, Norwegian and Turkish. The Settings window of the software supports transparency and the application can be set to launch at system startup. Also, you won’t need to install this utility; simply unpack and run it.

This software will allow you to select the keys for controlling your media player’s most frequently used commands, and it supports a variety of players you may want to install and use on your home computer: Windows Media Player, Winamp, iTunes, QuickTime, Nero ShowTime 6-8 and GOM Player.

KeyboardLink is also well geared up for the most popular web browsers, so you are bound to find your preferred one in the Settings tab. The available options are as follows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari and Netscape 9. You can assign any key to start these applications in combination with the master key you have already selected in the General settings window of the software.

In addition to the multimedia and web browsing controls you can configure with KeyboardLink, there are also other applications included in the launcher’s options menu for you to customize. There’s the system Notepad and the Calculator utilities that you can set to start with a key combination. You can also find there the MS Paint and the WordPad applications if you use them regularly and need to start them in less time than it takes to browse the Windows start menu in order to reach them.

The above-mentioned programs are by no means the last ones to be configured for a quick start with KeyboardLink. This handy little software will also make it possible for you to perform an array of system tasks for maintenance and not only. As a consequence, you can set a hotkey for emptying the Recycle Bin or launching the screensaver. In addition, you can control the system sound volume with commands for Volume Up, Volume Down and Mute. There’s even the possibility of you picking a combination to disable KeyboardLink so that, if another user works on your PC, they don’t accidentally start an application by pressing one of the linked keys.

The Office applications you can configure to start with key combinations include almost the entire package. Thus, you can set hotkeys for MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Access utilities. The great part is that KeyboardLink can automatically identify and select the installed Office programs. It will also enable you to manually choose the version from Office XP, 2003 and 2007 for any of the aforementioned modules.

This lightweight software application is so easy to use that it doesn’t need a Help file or any supplementary explanations. The intuitive UI (user interface) is self-explanatory in so far as the functions are concerned and you won’t even feel it running, as it is one of the least resource-needy apps.

The Good

The ease of use and variety of default applications that can be set to start with key combinations are the main strong features of KeyboardLink.

Another good thing about this software is that you don’t have to run any installers, but simply unpack and launch it. Also among the advantages of this utility is the fact that it uses very little system resources.

The Bad

It’s easy to point out the negative aspects discovered while testing KeyboardLink, as there are none.

Maybe the user interface could be improved for the settings menu so that it looks a bit sleeker to please the more demanding users.

The Truth

When all's said and done, KeyboardLink is great: it does the job it’s supposed to do with no fuss at all, it is small, user-friendly and will please all users. Perhaps it could become even better if the possibility of adding custom applications to the hotkey configuration were added.

Even so, this software is, if not a must have, at least a must try. There’s no need to buy a bulky keyboard that will probably only clutter your desk. KeyboardLink is the obvious solution for you. All you have to pay is the little time it takes to download it since KeyboardLink is completely free.

Here are some snapshots of the application in action:


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