Comments on: Productivity Tip #9: RocketDock to free you from the Taskbar forever! http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/ Jon Jones is an Art Production Manager at NCsoft Austin, one of the most respected and successful video game studios in the world. He's hellbent on learning to be a better artist, manager and human being, and has a penchant for writing about it. Here he shares his thoughts and advice on personal development with the world at large! Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:16:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: chupathingyyy http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/comment-page-1/#comment-39619 chupathingyyy Fri, 14 Mar 2008 21:30:33 +0000 http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/#comment-39619 It is I again! I have searched far and wide for solution to this age old question of system tray (aka notification area), replacement and i have returned with simple and effective solution. (Drum-roll) Here it is... I have EmergeDesktop as my Explorer replacement, which means that instead windows explorer loading and running along with that pesky taskbar i have EmergeDesktop shell loading and running in its place. The beauty of this shell is that you can use it as replacement for Explorer.exe or as addition to it. In either mode it is modular, so u can pick and choose what u want to load and run and what u do not want to load or run (did i mention that it can take less RAM that explorer???). The way i have it set right now it is set as a shell replacement so explorer does not load at all ever!!! Modules that are running are EmergeCore, EmergeDesktop and EmergeTray. Core enables you to run it as shell replacement instead of just an addition to explorer, Desktop is just what it name suggests a Desktop replacement, and Tray is System Tray replacement with option to hide icons (did i mention all modules can be moved anywhere and locked in place, or that all modules can be fully transparent when not used, or that u can set orientation, direction, size and z-order of all the modules, or maybe that it has support for multiple desktops.....well i guess i did now :P). Anywho....i'm running EmergeDesktop, RocketDock, Styler, Launchy, PStart & Samurize on my machine. It does what i want it to do, fast and in style. P.S. this is not meant as advertisement for EmergeDesktop, but i like to give credit where credit is due, oh and READ documentation that comes with it BEFORE you start using it, for it will make much more sense and cause much less frustration when trying to customize it the way you like it (trust me on that). It is I again!

I have searched far and wide for solution to this age old question of system tray (aka notification area), replacement and i have returned with simple and effective solution. (Drum-roll) Here it is…

I have EmergeDesktop as my Explorer replacement, which means that instead windows explorer loading and running along with that pesky taskbar i have EmergeDesktop shell loading and running in its place. The beauty of this shell is that you can use it as replacement for Explorer.exe or as addition to it. In either mode it is modular, so u can pick and choose what u want to load and run and what u do not want to load or run (did i mention that it can take less RAM that explorer???).
The way i have it set right now it is set as a shell replacement so explorer does not load at all ever!!!
Modules that are running are EmergeCore, EmergeDesktop and EmergeTray. Core enables you to run it as shell replacement instead of just an addition to explorer, Desktop is just what it name suggests a Desktop replacement, and Tray is System Tray replacement with option to hide icons (did i mention all modules can be moved anywhere and locked in place, or that all modules can be fully transparent when not used, or that u can set orientation, direction, size and z-order of all the modules, or maybe that it has support for multiple desktops…..well i guess i did now :P).

Anywho….i’m running EmergeDesktop, RocketDock, Styler, Launchy, PStart & Samurize on my machine. It does what i want it to do, fast and in style.

P.S. this is not meant as advertisement for EmergeDesktop, but i like to give credit where credit is due, oh and READ documentation that comes with it BEFORE you start using it, for it will make much more sense and cause much less frustration when trying to customize it the way you like it (trust me on that).

]]> By: marcel http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/comment-page-1/#comment-39591 marcel Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:43:44 +0000 http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/#comment-39591 Hello everybody, At this moment I have rocketdock running as well and I like it too. But I tried to get the system tray working with all available updates on rocketdock.com but all does not work for me or I do something wrong. It would be great if I can get this last part working. Is there someone who has a workable version available with the systemtray I can download without having to edit and to put update over update to get it working because with me it does not exceed. Thanks in advancee Marcel from the Netherlands Hello everybody,

At this moment I have rocketdock running as well and I like it too. But I tried to get the system tray working with all available updates on rocketdock.com but all does not work for me or I do something wrong.
It would be great if I can get this last part working.
Is there someone who has a workable version available with the systemtray I can download without having to edit and to put update over update to get it working because with me it does not exceed.

Thanks in advancee

Marcel from the Netherlands

]]> By: Jon Jones http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/comment-page-1/#comment-30283 Jon Jones Fri, 11 Jan 2008 21:32:52 +0000 http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/#comment-30283 Hi guys! Actually, the more I futzed around with it, the more I realized that there ARE no satisfactory system tray docklets for RocketDock, either. I simply don't use the system tray anymore. heh. I'm extremely hardcore about controlling what apps do and don't start when my PC boots, and as a result, I have *very* few apps that would even exist in the system tray. Virtually all the programs I have that minimize to the system tray have that as a checkable option, and I disable it. If the app doesn't have the option to disable minimizing to the system tray, I use Launchy to run the app again, which brings it to the foreground instead of forcing me to go click around to find it again. It's all a series of really fortunate workarounds. It probably won't work for everybody, but hopefully that'll help give you guys ideas. :) Hi guys!

Actually, the more I futzed around with it, the more I realized that there ARE no satisfactory system tray docklets for RocketDock, either. I simply don’t use the system tray anymore. heh.

I’m extremely hardcore about controlling what apps do and don’t start when my PC boots, and as a result, I have *very* few apps that would even exist in the system tray. Virtually all the programs I have that minimize to the system tray have that as a checkable option, and I disable it.

If the app doesn’t have the option to disable minimizing to the system tray, I use Launchy to run the app again, which brings it to the foreground instead of forcing me to go click around to find it again.

It’s all a series of really fortunate workarounds. It probably won’t work for everybody, but hopefully that’ll help give you guys ideas. :)

]]> By: Manu Sharma http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/comment-page-1/#comment-30074 Manu Sharma Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:39:21 +0000 http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/#comment-30074 Same here. I can't find a Rocketdock docklet for system tray that works. Same here. I can’t find a Rocketdock docklet for system tray that works.

]]> By: chupathingyyy http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/comment-page-1/#comment-29733 chupathingyyy Wed, 26 Dec 2007 13:47:35 +0000 http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/#comment-29733 That is great, I have been using RocketDock since version 1.1.x almost exactly in same way as you have described it here, except for one small detail. I have no system tray docklet on mine. I have tried to find one, and I have found few, but each caused RocketDock to crash. Can you tell me which docklet are you using for this, or where you got it from? (or even better, can you make it available for download here?) That is great, I have been using RocketDock since version 1.1.x almost exactly in same way as you have described it here, except for one small detail. I have no system tray docklet on mine. I have tried to find one, and I have found few, but each caused RocketDock to crash. Can you tell me which docklet are you using for this, or where you got it from?

(or even better, can you make it available for download here?)

]]> By: Jon Jones http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/comment-page-1/#comment-16392 Jon Jones Fri, 13 Apr 2007 16:25:49 +0000 http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/#comment-16392 Rick, holy freaking crap, I had no idea something like that existed! I gotta make a Mac friend so I can check that out. That sounds like an absolute lifesaver... like a beautiful mashup of the dock and the taskbar. I gotta see this in action. BTW, crap, I thought I had linked you! I feel like a heel, I'm sorry. :) Heath, AHA, another outed tweaker! Glad you're finding a use for these and see the same value in it I do. It's hard sometimes for me to find somebody that'll get as excited as I do over finding a way to do something that'll save me a couple seconds. Rock on, brotha! Rick, holy freaking crap, I had no idea something like that existed! I gotta make a Mac friend so I can check that out. That sounds like an absolute lifesaver… like a beautiful mashup of the dock and the taskbar. I gotta see this in action.

BTW, crap, I thought I had linked you! I feel like a heel, I’m sorry. :)

Heath, AHA, another outed tweaker! Glad you’re finding a use for these and see the same value in it I do. It’s hard sometimes for me to find somebody that’ll get as excited as I do over finding a way to do something that’ll save me a couple seconds. Rock on, brotha!

]]> By: Heath http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/comment-page-1/#comment-14062 Heath Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:15:27 +0000 http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/#comment-14062 Excellent! Another tweaker like myself. In fact I would say you may actually be MORE of a tweaker than myself. A tweaking guru that I can steal knowledge from. I'm currently playing with Rocketdock and Launchy now. I'm liking them, but naturally I'm having to get used to them and get used to things that aren't my trained usual ways. We'll see how it pans out. Right now I'm using them in conjunction with the task bar, system tray, etc, but I'm trying to consciously use the new apps as much as possible to see exactly what I miss from the conventional ways. For example, when using firefox, if I "view page source", firefox opens that in a new window. I normally use the task bar to switch between those two windows and I didn't see anyway to do that with Rocketdock except to use the old alt-tab since Rocketdock only shows one icon for firefox. I seem to always use the task bar to switch between windows and apps. It will take a while for me to discern what is just habit and what is actual preference for me. I also like having my system tray available and visible at all times so I'm not sure if that's something I can get past. Defnitely excited by my two new geeky toys though. Thanks! Excellent! Another tweaker like myself. In fact I would say you may actually be MORE of a tweaker than myself. A tweaking guru that I can steal knowledge from. I’m currently playing with Rocketdock and Launchy now. I’m liking them, but naturally I’m having to get used to them and get used to things that aren’t my trained usual ways. We’ll see how it pans out.

Right now I’m using them in conjunction with the task bar, system tray, etc, but I’m trying to consciously use the new apps as much as possible to see exactly what I miss from the conventional ways. For example, when using firefox, if I “view page source”, firefox opens that in a new window. I normally use the task bar to switch between those two windows and I didn’t see anyway to do that with Rocketdock except to use the old alt-tab since Rocketdock only shows one icon for firefox. I seem to always use the task bar to switch between windows and apps. It will take a while for me to discern what is just habit and what is actual preference for me.

I also like having my system tray available and visible at all times so I’m not sure if that’s something I can get past. Defnitely excited by my two new geeky toys though. Thanks!

]]> By: Rick http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/comment-page-1/#comment-13873 Rick Sat, 24 Mar 2007 20:39:51 +0000 http://www.thejonjones.com/2007/03/24/productivity-tip-9-rocketdock-to-free-you-from-the-taskbar-forever/#comment-13873 Jon, get an Expose Clone. I bought a mac two year ago, and my only regret is not having done it sooner. The dock is excellent, like you have posted about, but Expose is the single biggest workflow upgrade I've ever had. I've set my top/bottom left screen corners to be 'Desktop', and my top/bottom right to be all windows. Rather than alt-tab, I flick my cursor to a righthand screen corner, and all my running apps get tiled on the screen. Click on one, and thats my current app. There are several PC clones, the one I picked at work isn't very good. Apple. Expose. Best. http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/expose/ Oh, and link me! Jon, get an Expose Clone.

I bought a mac two year ago, and my only regret is not having done it sooner.

The dock is excellent, like you have posted about, but Expose is the single biggest workflow upgrade I’ve ever had.

I’ve set my top/bottom left screen corners to be ‘Desktop’, and my top/bottom right to be all windows. Rather than alt-tab, I flick my cursor to a righthand screen corner, and all my running apps get tiled on the screen. Click on one, and thats my current app.

There are several PC clones, the one I picked at work isn’t very good.

Apple. Expose. Best.

http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/expose/

Oh, and link me!

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