The Best of Both Phone, and Tablet
CNET Editors' review
ActiveWords is a nifty free program that does seven useful things when you type key words or letter combinations and hit the space bar. In fact, the developers believe program's seven categories make up the 80 percent of computing tasks in the 80/20 paradigm: Substitute Text, Launch a Program, Open a Document, Navigate to an Internet Site, Send E-Mail, Open a Folder, and Scripting. You specify your ActiveWords using quick, easy commands, and then associate the words with one of the seven tasks via simple wizards. It lets you create easy-to-remember shortcuts that do what you need most often: Type "addy," for example, and have ActiveWords fill in your entire address. Or launch a program by typing its initials. Open a Web site with a word you're typing anyway; a dictionary site, for example.
ActiveWords' main interface is a thin toolbar that appears at the top of your desktop and looks like part of a maximized application. A Menu and basic icons flank a display that shows text as it's typed. Clicking the ActiveWords symbol on the right-hand side calls up a dialog for selecting basic ActiveWord commands such as add, help, find, and weather (which fetches weather information) as well as editing and customizing the choices. We began with the video tutorial, which is brief and does an excellent job of walking new users through each function. We typed "add," hit the space bar twice, and the Add ActiveWords wizard opened. We selected Open a Document, browsed to a file, selected it, labeled the action, created a four-letter ActiveWord, deselected the Confirmation Flag (since the "word" was an abbreviation, not standard English) and created an active word, which launched the silly GIF animation we'd selected when we typed it and hit the spacebar: pretty neat. It'll be well worth your time to create ActiveWords for your name, address, and groups of email addresses, and for launching programs you often use but don't want on the Start menu. Whatever it is you want to do quicker, ActiveWords can make it so.
The freeware version is limited to 30 ActiveWords, which is probably more than most users need anyway. Power users can get the commercial version, which handles more like 20,000 ActiveWords.
Publisher's Description
From ActiveWord Systems:
ActiveWords is user interface technology that makes all words active. Enter or select any text in any context at any time, and be directly transported to services related to the meaning of that text. Make a small investment in tagging all the things you do with words that mean something to you. Then, simply trigger those words, your ActiveWords, to instantly get what you want. ActiveWords Plus now includes the AWInkPad, leveraging the power of your 20,000-word vocabulary to both keyboard and ink on a Tablet PC. ActiveWords delivers instant access to your favorite Web sites, files, folders, and programs. Just enter a word or select any words on your computer, press the ActiveWord key and you are there.
What's new in this version: Version 1.95 adds support for the majority of Windows language settings and support for Windows Vista and Windows 7.
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All versions:
4.4 starsout of 11 votes
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Current version:
4.4 starsout of 5 votes
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My rating:
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Results 1-5 of 5
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"Not a bad little program"
Version: ActiveWords 1.95
Pros
Easy to load up and run. Certainly does what it says it should do. It is also easy to customize.
Cons
Still have to use a mouse to access the dialog box.
Summary
This is a nice little program, but as far as executing programs and navigating to web pages, it does nothing more than a desktop shortcut icon or quicklaunch icon (which only needs one click). For those who prefer to use the keyboard this program will be quite handy. The text replacement works well and is quite handy.
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"The essential general purpose program on my computer"
Version: ActiveWords 1.95
Pros
I use this program perhaps 50-100 times a day. One of its most useful features is navigating to a website with only a couple of keystrokes. Simply put, I could not use my computer without it, it makes almost everything easier and quicker.
Cons
Absolutely none. I have use it for years (maybe 8-10 at least) and there is NO negative, no downside to the program.
Summary
This is easy: It makes everything I do on my computers simpler, easier and faster. This program has a "wow factor" of 10! I have no connection with the company other than as a satisfied user, and I highly recommend the program to any and all. And did I mention customer service? Best in the industry.
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"Since the early days WordPerfect 3.1 . . ."
Version: ActiveWords 1.95
Pros
Makes it easier to work on your laptop without having to worry about having a separate mouse or using the small little ball on you laptop.
Cons
I didn't really think there were any.
Summary
Since the early days WordPerfect 3.1 . . .I haven't been able to keep my hands on the keyboard as much as now, and I love it!!
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"One of the first programs I install on a new PC"
Version: ActiveWords 1.95
Pros
a great program to keep your hands on the keyboard and off the mouse, sits quietly in the background until called for
Cons
I would like to see support for Win 7 GUI/Aero
Summary
I've been using Activewords for 6 trouble-free years and it's never let me down. It sits quietly in the background until I activate it with a simple keystroke. Customer support is great, and the developers are consistently adding support for new programs.
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"Couldn't live without this product!"
Version: ActiveWords 1.95
Pros
Very easy to use, allows you to keep your hands on the keyboard instead of mousing, easily customized to do exactly what you want it to do. A must if you want to be efficient on the the computer.
Cons
None that I've come across.
Summary
Activewords is an absolute must for anyone with a keyboard orientation. It dramatically increases your efficiency by allowing you to create keyboard shortcuts for almost anything--navigating to a website, running a program, inserting text. It's extremely handy--you type the shortcut at any point and hit the Activewords key you've chosen. (I use F8.) It's non-intrusive and has never caused a problem. I've used it for several years and can't imagine life without it.
Results 1-5 of 5
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