Rumor has it that MacOS 8's Finder will include a pop-up menu for performing operations on selected items (like Open, Print, Delete, etc). Windows 95 already has a similar feature. PowerMenu outdoes both of them by providing these functions as well as the unique ability to open selected files in the Finder directly into any specific application. Opening a SimpleText document in Microsoft Word, for example, is a simple two-click operation: select the document, pop up the menu and choose "Word". No more messing with dozens of desktop aliases that easily get covered by open windows or "launch pad" programs. Do this in front of a Win95 user and watch them turn green.
As if that weren't enough, PowerMenu also lets you maintain a list of "Quick Access Items" that is available on your popup menu from inside any application. Keeping items you use frequently in that menu means you can open them instantly. PowerMenu's pop-up menu is fully hierarchical, which means you can organize your applications and quick access items into groups for even faster access. I use PowerMenu several dozen times every day and I think if you give it a try, you will find it as indispensible as I do.
PowerMenu is heavily customizable and is optimized for both Macintosh and Power Macintosh computers, meaning it will run at full speed on whatever model you use. PowerMenu REQUIRES System 7.5.x or 7.1.x with the Scriptable Finder installed. PowerMenu is $10US shareware.
How do I install PowerMenu?
PowerMenu comes as two components, a system extension and a control panel. Drop both of them onto your System Folder and answer "Yes" when your computer asks you if you want to store them in their appropriate place. Restart your computer to activate PowerMenu. PowerMenu sounds a short series of tones when it is ready to use, which may be a few moments after your computer is done starting up. You can disable these tones with the control panel.
How do I use PowerMenu?
Initially, PowerMenu is set up to pop up its menu when you hold down the "Command" ("cloverleaf") and "Control" keys and click anywhere on the screen. Try this in the Finder and you'll notice that the menu pops up with several options, including a list of all running applications. If you choose the name of a running application, PowerMenu will try to open any currently selected items with that application. Try it out! Make sure that the item or items you want to open are selected and the application you choose is able to work with those documents.
For PowerMenu to be truly useful, you should add items to the "Applications" list and the "Quick Access Items" list. When in the Finder, pop up the menu and choose "Open PowerMenu items folder". PowerMenu will open a window that looks like this:
Adding aliases to the Applications folder or the Quick Access Items folder puts them in those sections of the popup menu. In this respect, these folder behave much the same way as the Apple Menu Items folder in your System Folder. You can create folders inside these folders to create groupings in the popup menu. You may want to begin by putting an alias to every application you use into the Applications folder. This will allow you to open a document from the Finder into any of your applications with just one click. Put aliases to documents you use often in the Quick Access Items folder to be able to open them at any time, from inside any application.
For your convenience, PowerMenu is initially configured to include "Add to Applications" and "Add to Quick Access Items" commands in the popup menu. When working in the Finder, these commands let you add any selected items to PowerMenu's lists quickly and easily. These commands can be disabled with the control panel.
Holding down the Control and Command keys and clicking while you are working in an application other than the Finder will bring up your Quick Access Items list only.
How can I configure PowerMenu further?
The PowerMenu Controls control panel lets you change a great many aspects of PowerMenu's behavior and appearance. The PowerMenu Controls control panel looks like this:
The group of check boxes below the title controls what options appear on the popup menu when you are working in the Finder. They have the following effects:
Finder commands: When checked, PowerMenu includes Open, Print, Delete and "Add to Apple Menu" commands to the popup menu when working in the Finder. The commands are applied to any selected items.
PowerMenu commands: When checked, PowerMenu includes "Add to applications list", "Add to Quick Access Items" and "Open PowerMenu Items folder" commands to the popup menu when working in the Finder to allow you to quickly customize PowerMenu.
Running applications: When checked, a list of running applications is included in the menu when working in the Finder. This allows you to easily open any selected documents directly into any running application.
Other applications: When checked, any applications that you have added to PowerMenu's "Applications" folder will appear on the menu when working in the Finder. This allows you to open documents directly into any of your applications with a single click. You can choose whether or not you want the applications to appear on a submenu or not, and what the maximum depth of the submenu should be. Setting the maximum depth lower will speed up the building of the menus. The MacOS only allows 4 levels of submenus, so you cannot set the maximum depth of the folders past 3.
Quick Access Items are configured in the same way as the applications options.
Rebuild menus in background: When checked, PowerMenu will monitor the items in your Applications and Quick Access Items folder for any changes and rebuild the popup menus in the background when necessary while you work. If this option is off, you may experience a delay in popping up the menu if items in the menu have changed since the last time you used it.
Sound effects: When checked, PowerMenu will play a short sequence of tones when it finishes building the menus for the first time, so you will know when it is ready to use at startup.
The checkboxes under the group titled "To pop up menu" allow you to control what keys will cause the menu to pop up. You may not uncheck all of them.
Finally, the last checkbox lets you control whether you wish to have access to your Quick Access Items list from other applications. If this box is unchecked, PowerMenu is only available when working in the Finder.
What's the catch?
PowerMenu is shareware. That means that although it is freely distributable, it is not free to use indefinately. You may try PowerMenu for one month to decide whether you want to keep it or not. If you decide to keep using it, you must pay the license fee of $10.00US. PowerMenu comes with a "Register" program that lets you pay for your license in any one of a variety of ways, including by credit card. You can even send your payment by email for instant registration.
The shareware system lets users try out software before deciding whether or not to buy it, and offers much lower prices than retail packages. However, abuse makes the system less attractive for developers and drives prices up. I write Macintosh software for pleasure and experience, but I can't justify the investment of time and money without support. Please support shareware and register your copy if you use PowerMenu. You will be doing yourself and the Macintosh community a favor.
How can I get help with PowerMenu?
If you have any questions or are having trouble with PowerMenu, please drop me a line; I'll be happy to answer any of your questions. See the next section for how to reach me.
Where can I get more information?
You can get more information on PowerMenu, and all of my other Macintosh programs, on my Web site. The version of PowerMenu you have may be out of date, especially if you got it from a CD-ROM or a users' group, so you may want to check this site right away for a more recent version. You can access my Web site at:
http://www.kagi.com/authors/marka/
You can reach me by email at
marka@kagi.com
Please drop me a line if you have thoughts or suggestions for PowerMenu, or if you have any questions about how to use it more efficiently!
Where's the legalese?
Here. Enjoy!
Terms of usage
In this document, “software” refers to all computer programs, codes, or documents included with this document, or any copy of any part of the items mentioned above. “you” refers to any entity that acquires this software.
You are licensed to use the software provided you respect the following terms:
You may:
1. Use the software for the purpose of evaluating it for a period of time not exceeding one month, beginning at the date that you begin using the software.
2. Redistribute the software to any person or organization, provided you redistribute a package identical to the one you obtained.
3. Make as many backup copies as you like of the software.
You may NOT:
1. Alter the software in any way.
2. Redistribute the software in an altered form.
3. Redistribute the software as a package that differs in any way from the one you obtained. (i.e., you may not add or remove elements of the package when redistributing it, or distribute any altered versions of the original elements).
You MUST:
Register the software by paying any applicable fees (Registration instructions are given in the documentation) after your evaluation period. When you have registered your copy, you may:
1. Use the software on as many computers as you like as long as you are the sole user of the software (ex: A single person installing the software on both his / her work and home machine, for personal use).
OR
2. In lieu of 1), you may install the software on ONLY one (1) computer for use by several people, as long as not more than one person at a time can use the software (ex: A person installing the software on a lab computer functioning for the benefit of many).
If your needs are not covered by the cases above, contact the author for additional licensing information.
Redistribution
This software may be distributed via any means, physical or electronic. Excluded from this statement are organizations wishing to distribute this software in a commercial compilation, or organizations wishing to redistribute this software for profit. Such organizations must contact the author for written authorization to distribute the software. Permission is hereby granted for organizations wishing to distribute the software in non-commercial compilations (i.e., ones which are made available solely for the cost of materials, shipping, etc.), to do so.
Disclaimer of warranty
Mark Aiken hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this software, whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Mark Aiken will not be liable for any special, incidental, consequential, indirect or similar damages due to loss of data or any other reason, even if Mark Aiken or an agent of his has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall Mark Aiken be liable for any damages, regardless of the form of the claim. The person using the software bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the software.
US Government:
Government End Users: If you are acquiring the Software on behalf of any unit or agency of the United States Government, the following provisions apply. The Government agrees:
(i) if the Software is supplied to the Department of Defense (DoD), the Software is classified as “Commercial Computer Software” and the Government is acquiring only “restricted rights” in the Software and its documentation as that term is defined in Clause 252.227-7013(c)(1) of the DFARS; and
(ii) if the Software is supplied to any unit or agency of the United States Government other than DoD, the Government’s rights in the Software and its documentation will be as defined in Clause 52.227-19(c)(2) of the FAR or, in the case of NASA, in Clause 18-52.227-86(d) of the NASA Supplement to the FAR.
Complete agreement
This agreement constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes any prior agreements between you and the author concerning this software. This agreement cannot be amended, modified, or waived except in writing.
General
If any provision of this agreement shall be found to be unenforceable, it shall be deemed severed from the remainder of this agreement.
