Microsoft's Command Palette is a Powerful Launcher For Apps, Search (theverge.com) 26
Microsoft has released Command Palette, an enhanced version of its PowerToys Run launcher introduced five years ago. The utility, aimed at power users and developers, provides quick access to applications, files, calculations, and system commands through a Spotlight-like interface.
Command Palette integrates the previously separate Window Walker functionality for switching between open windows and supports launching command prompts, executing web searches, and navigating folder structures. Unlike its predecessor, the new launcher offers full customization via extensions, allowing users to implement additional commands beyond default capabilities. Available through the PowerToys application since early April, Command Palette can be triggered using Win+Alt+Space after installation
Command Palette integrates the previously separate Window Walker functionality for switching between open windows and supports launching command prompts, executing web searches, and navigating folder structures. Unlike its predecessor, the new launcher offers full customization via extensions, allowing users to implement additional commands beyond default capabilities. Available through the PowerToys application since early April, Command Palette can be triggered using Win+Alt+Space after installation
Why isn't this built-in? (Score:2)
There's already a search box built into the Windows 11 start menu. And they have co-pilot.
Multiple teams working on multiple solutions? I mean I understand that PowerToys is something of a skunkworks project but why don't their brightest minds pool resources!
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Re: Why isn't this built-in? (Score:2)
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Because who doesn't like having to search for something instead of going right to it.
Perhaps if Microsoft would stop hiding things Windows would be easier to use.
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because win11 start menu search is useless, co-pilot normally fails at anything involving local actions..
I guess the people working on powertools just got too annoyed at the current idiocy produced by other parts of the company. I mean the different parts do not talk to each other after all.
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It's in the name of the package that delivers the feature: Powertoys. It's not meant for ordinary users. Most of what Powertoys offers is amazing for power users but is just high tech noise to everyone else.
Honestly I think there should be more differentiation between Windows 11 Home and Pro. Pro should have Powertoys baked in from the onset.
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This is MS's brightest minds pooling resources. It was the best they could come up with.
Re: Why isn't this built-in? (Score:1)
That search box refuses to work every alternate update. Just flat out blank and won't even show start menu back till you click 3-4 times. On Intel, amd, snapdragon and apple silicon too. Consistently.
Only solution is "Everything" (an app) search and pin stuff to start or the task bar
"Powerful"? (Score:2)
As in "making my computer's fans scream and whine for 5 minutes after one single use"?
No, thank you, the shortcut files were powerful enough 20 years ago already.
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Maybe there's something else going on. My 7-year-old desktop computer didn't even flinch when I ran this thing.
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I thankfully don't have to use windows, but some people around me do, and the whine is incessant.
But the marks are so used to the noise that they just don't notice it anymore.
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I thankfully don't have to use windows, but some people around me do, and the whine is incessant.
Computers whining or people that have to use windows?
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As in "making my computer's fans scream and whine for 5 minutes after one single use"?
(Marketing Narrator) “..you can feel the sheer power of AI as it flows through your chassis, breathing life into your digital partner..”
Yup. That’s right. Shits gonna get so cheesy we’re gonna name the first AI marketeer-bot Cheesy McCheeseface.
Not sure it improves on the Start button (Score:3)
It pretty much does all the same stuff. The PowerToys thing is missing a lot of UX niceness. For example, the up/down arrow keys work, but not page up/down or Home/End, to navigate the list.
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If all you're doing is web searches and typing numbers into a calculator you would think that. The reality is this does far more, it just may not align with what your needs are. Take a look at the Git example in the animation, or try switch windows with the start menu (not the task bar), or use the start menu to generate GUIDs.
Or ... come up with an idea and write a script and incorporate that into the start menu as a plugin. I think you're massively underestimating the importance of that last point.
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You're right, this thing does some things the Start button can't do. I don't know why I would want to use this to switch windows, Alt+Tab and Win+Tab seem very capable of performing this task.
As for git, I don't want to use a jack-of-all-trades interface to use Git, I prefer to use a dedicated Git tool like TortiseGit or Visual Studio's Git support. It's kind of like going to a Denny's and ordering a T-bone steak. It's best to stick with the foods the restaurant is actually good at; in the case of Denny's,
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I am still on PowerToys Run, but it's a vast improvement on the Start Menu. Even when you remove all the crap from the Start Menu search results, they still aren't as good as PowerToys Run. With PowerToys you can choose what you want to see easily, and when you say "just apps" it really does mean just apps.
I have a few other things enabled, like quick registry access and some control commands so I can hibernate or shut down the computer from there.
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Sweet, glad it works for you! I approach search with the opposite perspective, I just want to search and let the system figure out what I want. I don't *want* to have to specify what kind of thing I'm searching for.
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It pretty much does all the same stuff.
From an InfoSec perspective, I would tend to disagree without even seeing the tool yet.
The Start Menu is part of the basic UI and is built to support every user on the system.
It appears this tool is more targeted towards power users and developers. In other words, a select group of trusted users with advanced access and/or elevated permissions. Using tools that also often require elevated access/permissions, inherently creating a risk to mitigate from a security perspective.
An MS-DOS Command prompt vs. on
My command Palette (Score:2)
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Too little, too late (Score:2)
ERROR! (Score:2)
This must be an ERROR of the type KERNEL PANIC of the universe. Some which is actually good comes out of Microsoft?!