Comments on: Increase your productivity with keyboard shortcuts

By: Ellis Godard

Ellis Godard — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:28:56 +0000

Keyboard shortcuts are good. So’s Rainmeter, widgets, gadgets… but those only are only good for the top 10-20 apps you use, IF that many.

Here’s my attempt to reign in the rest:

By: Links of Interest from LifeRemix : Productivity501

Links of Interest from LifeRemix : Productivity501 — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:00:40 +0000

[...] Increase your productivity with keyboard shortcuts-Unclutterer Using the keyboard for your most of your computer input can really speed up many processes. This helpful article provides information on how to set up your Mac or PC to help you be more efficient. [...]

By: Business Development | Social Media Literacy |…words » Productivity Recap 23 May

Sat, 23 May 2009 16:24:27 +0000

[...] Erin Doland of Unclutterer explains how to increase your productivity using keyboard shortcuts starting with the basics for both Mac and Windows users, and reccomending programs that will help you maximize your keyboard shortcut abilities. http://unclutterer.com/2009/05.....shortcuts/ [...]

By: Srinivas Rao

Srinivas Rao — Fri, 22 May 2009 02:41:21 +0000

I love Text expander. It’s probably the biggest time saving tool I’ve discovered in the last few months. I use it to write cover letters and other things.

By: Chris Gee

Chris Gee — Thu, 21 May 2009 03:43:29 +0000

Wow, thanks E for the great tip!

By: E

Thu, 21 May 2009 02:16:37 +0000

Hmm. I’m a Windows user, and use shortcut keys a lot to open/start programs. For example, CTRL+ALT+(SOME LETTER DESIGNATED) will open a program.

Right click on a program icon in the Start Menu and click on properties. A new window will pop up, and in the shortcut tab, there is a shortcut key option, which by default is None. Type in a letter, and it should be CTRL+ALT+(LETTER). I use W for MS Word, F for Firefox, C for Calculator, etc.

There are some restrictions, you cannot use: Esc, Enter, Tab, Spacebar, Print Screen, Shift, or Backspace.

I dislike icons all over my desktop and find clicking through the menu sometimes tedious, so for me at least, these shortcuts help along with the rest of the shortcuts out there. .

-E.

By: OXM

OXM — Wed, 20 May 2009 05:34:15 +0000

Funny. I was just thinking today about how using / to quickly open the Find box in Firefox has made my life better.

By: Michel

Michel — Wed, 20 May 2009 05:16:58 +0000

There are free alternatives: Texter, Launchy. Try AutoHotKey. No need to buy expensive software for this.

By: Jeri Dansky

Jeri Dansky — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:16:24 +0000

I’m another huge fan of text expansion tools. I happen to use Typinator on my Mac, rather than TextExpander. My (unpaid) rave review of such tools is here: http://jdorganizer.blogspot.co.....s-and.html

By: Catherine

Catherine — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:04:56 +0000

I find that many Unclutterer topics seem to highlight specific products for purchase, but it never bothers me. I look at it, I judge for myself… and if I don’t like what I see or I don’t like the price, I move on.

**and** Unclutterer often tries to give free or at least different alternates that do the same task. Works for me.

By: Peter (a different one)

Peter (a different one) — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:34:43 +0000

I was just going to say how I don’t know how people can function without using keyboard shortcuts. It pains me to watch people slowly navigate to the tool bar to find Copy or Past instead of ctrl-c / ctrl-v (windows).

When I saw Bryan’s post, I was actually insulted (which is odd, since I have nothing to do with unclutterer, other than cluttering up it’s comment sections with my ramblings…)

*Note: this was a pro-bono defense of Unclutterer

By: Loren

Loren — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:27:48 +0000

I used to have a laptop that I only used for word processing that the had a little nub mouse would break randomly. I learned to navigate the entire computer via the keyboard. SO much faster.
I’m a multimedia developer, so I use a computer 24/7 and suffer from carpel tunnel, using the keyboard more definitely helps not strain your wrists.
Lots of keyboards and some laptops have extra programmable buttons on them too, that program to open a certain program or do a specific function.

If there is a specific program that you use frequently, they almost always have program specific shortcuts that you can learn to help save time.

By: Suzyn

Suzyn — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:31:40 +0000

That should be <2 secs.

By: Suzyn

Suzyn — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:26:05 +0000

I am a technical writer, and I’m always amazed at how mouse-centric most techies are. Total waste of time!!

Another tip: Most Office products for PC have keyboard shortcuts associated with all menu items. Hit Alt, and you’ll see underlined letters. Type that letter to expand a menu, type the letter of the menu option you want… if more than one option uses the same letter, just keep hitting the letter until the option you want is highlighted. If you can learn the keyboard shortcuts for common menu items, you make your life a lot easier. I can paste as unformatted text in word in >2 secs: Alt+e,s,u,Enter.

Does Mac do the same thing? Frankly, it’s the lack of menu shortcuts that has me hesitating to switch…

By: Joseph Scandura

Joseph Scandura — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:51:50 +0000

Keyboard shortcuts are great, especially considering that I’m a hunt and peck typer. Without them, it’d take me even longer than it already does to get anything done on a computer.

By: Scott James

Scott James — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:45:37 +0000

Just began using Text Expander. Learning just how powerful a productivity tool it is, considering my typing is slow and my spelling is awful.

But Quicksilver is easily the #1 productivity tool for Macs. Been using it since I first converted to Macs a year ago. Actually can’t imagine operating a computer without it now. Amazing UI.

By: hragape

hragape — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:24:57 +0000

Thank you for writing this article. This is definitely an area where a few simple steps can save you a lot of time in the future. However, I’ll add another vote for using Auto Text in Word.

By: Julien

Julien — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:39:25 +0000

As for shortcuts things, I’m a long time user and fan of Quicksilver. Not only does it allow to make shortcuts for various operations (sending an email, moving files to a destination and whatever operation needed) but it also lets one do quite a lot of operations from the keyboard. Oh, and did I mention it’s free ? There also Launchbar which implement a similar concept.

Although these two are for Mac, I know there are some PC equivalents. Not being a PC user, their names escape me at the moment, though.

Best,
Julien

By: Chris Gee

Chris Gee — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:33:53 +0000

Another vote for autotext in MS Word and its equivalent in many other apps (like the iWork suite on the Mac).

I write corporate documents for a living and the many autotext entries I create save lot of time typing (and for a bad typist like me, deleting typos…). It is almost second nature now: if I’m going to be using a word or phrase more than twice, it becomes an auto text entry.

By: Bethany

Bethany — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:14:27 +0000

I’m a long time subscriber, and this post is not unlike the rest of the posts on Unclutterer. Erin recommends products that will simplify your life all the time. That’s what Unclutterer is all about!

I’ve heard rave reviews on Text Expander many, many times, so it’s no surprise that Erin would recommend it to her readers.