Switcheroo version 0.4

I’ve released a new version of Switcheroo, the humble incremental-search task switcher for Windows.  Changes in this version include:

• The list that prevents certain windows from appearing in the main window is now editable from the options dialog.  (For example, “Program Manager.”)
• The main window now resizes to the full width and height of the list.
• Fixed a few minor bugs and tested on 32-bit Windows 7.

Essential Windows Tools

When working, I like everything on my computer “just so.”  I want to do things quickly and with minimal mental overhead.  Here’s a list of (developer-centric) tools that make that possible:

• VirtuaWin. This is hands-down the best virtual desktop manager for windows.  With a bit of tweaking, you can switch between desktops instantaneously by bumping your mouse pointer at the edge of the screen while holding down the control key. 
• xplorer2. I use the free “lite” version.  Great features:
• Tabbed views (just like your browser).  Keeps the taskbar clean.
• Filter a directory listing quickly using ctrl-h. 
• When in a folder, pressing F10 and enter starts a command prompt in that folder.  (With a bit more tweaking, get a cygwin bash prompt.)
• Cygwin + minTTY.  If you spend time on the command prompt, it’s worth it to learn your way around bash.  And MinTTY’s native-windows interface – with fully resizable windows and transparency – is worth the price of admission alone.  I don’t use the built-in command prompt any more, and neither should you. Great features:
• Color coded directory listings and grep results. 
• Press control-r and search backwards through your command history.
• Switcheroo. Yes, I wrote it, but what of it?  Switching between (and closing) running applications using incremental search keeps me from reaching for the mouse and breaking my concentration.
• Slickrun.  A floating, auto-completing prompt that lets you quickly open programs, folders, and websites.  With some batch-script ingenuity, the possibilities are endless.  For example, I can type “vup” or “vdown” to quickly adjust the volume.  Or “newmail” to write a new e-mail in Outlook.  For most commands, I only have to type the first few letters. Set up tip: change the colors, make the font larger, and set it to autohide and chase your mouse cursor. 
• Emacs. The One True Editor.  Learning it is a commitment, but worth it.  If you take the plunge, grab Ctrl2Cap and remap your caps lock key as another control key.  With a bit of setup, plays very well with Cygwin.
• Winsplit Revolution.  Not as essential with Windows 7’s built-in window positioning, but the fusion mode is still great. 
• Password Safe.  Securely encrypt a list of all your passwords.  Now you only have to remember one, which lets you online banking passwords more complex and harder to brute-force.  And you’ll stop using the same one everywhere.

Knowledge and productivity are like compound interest

What Bode was saying was this: ``Knowledge and productivity are like compound interest.'' Given two people of approximately the same ability and one person who works ten percent more than the other, the latter will more than twice outproduce the former. The more you know, the more you learn; the more you learn, the more you can do; the more you can do, the more the opportunity - it is very much like compound interest. I don't want to give you a rate, but it is a very high rate. Given two people with exactly the same ability, the one person who manages day in and day out to get in one more hour of thinking will be tremendously more productive over a lifetime.

– Richard Hammin, in You and Your Research