Proto

(Definitely watch the screencasts) and if you are ready to wean yourself from the mouse this may be a good fit for you.

Despite appearances it is a file manager and not a command line though cheers to Miechu for trying to bundle in functions that are very utility oriented. The chart concept (CTRL+G) pleased me, very well done. I also look forward to seeing how Network Mastah progresses...though this seems to be a departure and best a part of Freemeter 2.0 ~

Files can be opened with any application by copying the path of a file (CTRL+c)then pressing TAB (or ALT+SPACE if you prefer) to open up the Launcherview, type in a few letters to trim down the results and press CTRL+ENTER to pass the filename and path (contents of the clipboard) as an argument. If the filetype is associated with an application then simply press ENTER. Proto will let you know if it doesn't know what to do with the file...

My brother, also a "techie", sees this as a work in progress, and it is, but already I am able to use it effectively in my daily work. It runs stable on XP. Navigating my files has never been easier. Most OSs require exploration of the file-structure and Proto enables the user to do just that... with a speed and (after a while) seeming ease.

I've even abandoned notepad to jot down notes. Instead, I prefer using CTRL+N to create empty folders, CTRL+SHIFT+n to open an empty file, and CTRL+h to begin editing it. CTRL+s saves as one would expect. Since a lot of research is copy/paste material with comments this is most effective. Renaming a file is as simple as CTRL+R (in file view)! CTRL+i for color coding is another plus.

While Proto defaults to 'hide on focus loss' when launched it is an option to uncheck when you right click its icon in the notification area. A configuration file would be a welcome addition. Just keep in mind that what Miechu is trying to present to us is the fastest filemanager on the planet... The place to be making requests like this though is not here, but at:

http://miechu.pl/proto/tracker.aspx

A review would not be complete without mentioning any flaws. Very few. The file viewer opens the file for editing by default, but since it is hard to press <CTRL+s> by mistake that shouldn't be an issue. My problem with the editor/viewer is that while it doesn't take up the entire screen, since I cannot move it and it is centered, it might as well... unless you are working strictly with it and Proto positioned above or below it. It would be nice to hide this window along with proto so work can continue with other applications. Also, while it offers secure delete methods, evidently 'delete to recycle bin' is one of them since somehow it corrupts the file as recovery returns only unreadable text. As such I must caution the new user to practice Proto in a noncritical area of your file storage. Mistakes will be made as you first get used to the interface but I think you will find it rewarding in the long run. I certainly have.

Ok, I checked it once again. The tutorials show how powerful it can be. Great work. Still I´m missing more configuration options about the ui itself. I would kill for yakuake, tilda style window dropdown under win7.pozdro Miechu

Extremely buggy, about 20-th second of its usage by me after "installation" it crashed =( Don't like such things =(
Last version is still not usable for me, but above all that the idea is interesting, I hope the developers will progress in the project's usability growth.

Pretty file manager. it easy to use and it is always when you need it. a bit strange navigation but you get use to it in few hours

Very cool file manager. Fast and extremely easy to use.

Very clever. I just started playing around with this, but I like it already.

Very good one. I think it will become a favorite one for me.

Interesting. Needs bookmarks or something though. :)

Funny thing but not usable. I'm not geek like that:)