A few weeks ago our pal Andrew Huff from Chicago’s Gapers Block brought a few guys over to our office to give us a demo of some software they were working on. Andrew is handling their PR.
The guys were Atul Varma and Aza Raskin of Humanized — a small Chicago start-up focused on making desktop software simpler and less frustrating. They are sharp. Their philosophy is much like ours. We’re fans.
The demo we got was for a new product called Enso. It’s Windows only so they brought their laptops.
Enso is a launcher — much like Launchbar or Quicksilver on the Mac. Although Enso has some more tricks up its sleeve. Enso has a nice style about it too. It’s tastefully executed.
Hold down the caps lock key, type, and stuff happens. You can add up numbers, spell check a sentence, open a document, look something up with Google, get a word count of any block of text, define any word anytime, etc. They even demoed how it could work with Basecamp, although I don’t know if that feature made it into their final release.
Once you get the hang of it it’s probably something you can’t imagine being without. That’s how Launchbar is for me — when I use a Mac that doesn’t have Launchbar of Quicksilver I feel like I’m stuck in the past.
To start Enso comes in two parts: Launcher and Words. You can use them together or separately. Walt Mossberg wrote it up today in The Wall Street Journal. Not a bad way to launch.
If you have a PC, and you value your time and like to avoid frustrating common tasks, you should definitely check out Enso over at the Humanized site.
Chad Whitacre
on 25 Jan 07I met Atul and Aza at the Chicago Python users group a while ago, and ended up in Enso’s beta program. As a user, I can say that I’m also a fan. Go Humanized!
Colin Ramsay
on 25 Jan 07I downloaded it, and it gives me a license message. It didn’t look very good anyway (certainly not close to Quicksilver), especially when they start their promo video by demonstrating a calculator for goodness sake, but this has put me off completely.
Shame they didn’t put their uninstaller in a more prominent position.
Michael Tighe
on 25 Jan 07Sounds promising. I have been using Launchy, and while it is great, the feature set of Enso sounds much more robust.
It would be great if their web site was up so I can investigate further though…
jharr
on 25 Jan 07How does this stack up with ActiveWords?
PS – looks like the humanized site is swamped at the moment.
Joe Martinez
on 25 Jan 07So is this an svning or do we say it got svned?
Mario
on 25 Jan 07I just would like to point out that PCs run other operating systems than Windows. They run a wide variety of *nixs. OS X is a derivative of Free BSD, which is primarilly run on PCs. So, show some respect you Mac nuts. Your system is only as awesome as it is because of PC-based free software. PC != Windows.
Thanks.
Daniel
on 25 Jan 07I use Quicksilver on my Mac at home, but I wanted to try this out here at work on my Dell using Win2k…
But WOW, they’re only trial versions for otherwise non-free software? I understand the fellas want to turn a profit from their product, and I applaud them for what appears to be a VERY strong initial showing…
Perhaps it’s just me getting used to Quicksilver, but the cost of ENSO is a bit unpalatable by comparison. For those on Windows that have never used a similar program, however, it may be just what they’re looking for.
Isn't it ironic
on 25 Jan 07I find it ironic that the quote on the Enso Launcher homepage is “We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works”
First I tried to download it to my mac—oops, that doesn’t work.
Then I downloaded it to my PC and ran the installer – got a licence error message in a dreaded monolog box. No dice again.
I was excited to see this release – I’ve read the humanized blog for a while and think they’re smart guys. I like their ideas. But Enso seems not-so-ready-to-ship at this point.
Eddie
on 25 Jan 07I’ve been beta testing it for a handful of days. I’ve never heard of quicksilver, and all that (PC user) so I’m not sure what to make of the comparison- but I’ll say the following things:
The quasimodal activation is what they wanted to emphasis, but it takes some getting used to. The caps lock key is the key in question quasi-modal means you have to hold it down while typing (like shift) long commands which requires some interesting hand movements. Further- for long commands like “open with internet explorer” (since it’s not a default browser on my system) then you have tab to complete the command like other CLIs but since you’re already holding the caps key down, it’s really strange IMO. They do have a mode lock, but they discourage use.
-I sent some feedback during the beta about the memory usage… 23-35MB at any given time seems a bit high for a launcher, but a)it’s beta , b) YMMV and c)You may not care about that.
-Actual usage is great. I like the “learn” where you can make shortcuts that don’t clutter up your file system, it has a real-time list of applications/docs/etc that gets filtered out as you type your command… and you can tab-complete or just arrow down if you want.
-Spellcheck, which is a much touted initial “proof of concept” feature of Enso, seems odd when you only want to spell check single word… the spell check interface takes a second to load up (on both of my admittedly older & slower machines) and takes up the whole screen with a giant text box… which seems like overkill. You can use the define command I think and get a “did you mean…” prompt which is nice.
-Getting quick access to commonly worded applications (like “internet explorer”) requires a shortcut (I used “ie” obviously) but you can’t combine that with the “open with” command: “open ie” but the “open with ie” doesn’t.
(I think I sent all that back to Humanized as feedback)
Eddie
on 25 Jan 07That last sentence should be: “open ie” opens up IE, but the “open with ie” gives me an “is not a command” error message.
Also I’d like to say the best part of this interface is the subtle messaging/feedback system they have. it’s pretty 37signals-esque… you’d all like the way you get your error messages, they are large and unmistakable and clear, yet still manage to stay out of your way.
Eddie
on 25 Jan 07my final thought is that the WSJ article misses the point of spellcheck. Although I agree (see my above comments) that it’s a bit clumsy at times, it’s point is to break apart the notion of a different spellcheck with a different dictionary for every single application on your system. You have to learn the shortcut key for each one and build/add/ignore dictionaries for all as well.
Enso (thankfully) seeks to a put a single “spellcheck” interface that is universal in all applications.
Ann
on 25 Jan 07Hmm… They charge money for this?! My productivity won’t increase enough to pay them money for software. At least not compared with Launchy, the free Quicksilver look-a-like, or the system-clogging Google Desktop.
Aza Raskin
on 25 Jan 07Hello All,
Thanks for the comments. As Eddie mentioned, the quasimode makes, we feel, a big difference in making the interface feel transparent. We are working as fast as we can to fix the license issue. Now I know why developing for the web is so attractive: You can test on all possible platforms. We apologize for the inconvenience!
By the way, I spellchecked this post with Enso Words :)
Stuart
on 25 Jan 07I’m very keen to navigate Windows faster, and as I’m not afraid to type I downloaded Enso. My initial experience is contrary to others’ – it installed swiftly and works like a charm.
I must admit I found the two examples in the video surprising: it isn’t so hard to hit Windows Key plus R and type “calc”. Neither is it so difficult in Word to press SHIFT and F3 to cycle through various capitalisations. But these are minor gripes and I can see the potential to improve my day.
CJ Curtis
on 25 Jan 07I went to their site, watched the demo video and thought to myself “Friggin’ Sweet.”
Then I clicked on Products and saw that together Launcher and Words cost $65.
Don’t think so.
This is where 37 Signals got it right. Your software is CHEAP, whether it’s monthly or not. Therefore you sell a ton of it. Make it too expensive, you won’t sell any of it.
Thijs van der Vossen
on 25 Jan 07Nice video. Did you notice the System Architect was sitting behind a MacBook Pro? Seems kinda strange for a company selling a Windows-only product. ;)
I do like the interface; would be interesting to have something similar for Quicksilver.
Eamon
on 25 Jan 07I really like Enso Launcher so far. My hatred of the mouse is both thorough and eternal.
Janoo
on 25 Jan 07After selecting “Click to Play”, I get a banner stating:
“To view this movie, you need Flash 8 or newer. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
The subtitle right below then gets another meaning: “Software is too frustrating”
I know it’s all my fault, but this almost made my day :)
Karl
on 25 Jan 07Jason, I think you should narrate their tutorial videos instead. Theirs was pretty annoying… I do like the style though.
Karl
on 25 Jan 07What I really want to know is how you’re supposed to type while holding down caps lock anyway, or whether it constantly leaves your CAPS on after you use it. Quicksilver is just ctrl+space and then type, right? (Or whatever strange symbols Apple uses.)
Aza Raskin
on 25 Jan 07It is possible to use Enso without holding down the Caps Lock key. However, I recommend trying it the quasimodal way first. It takes a little bit getting used to, but then it becomes second nature.
Eoin Purcell
on 25 Jan 07There is an existinng product that launchs apps in windows called launchy. its free and works really well. It learns what you are most likely to launch etc. It allows you to do pretty much everything Enso does too! Sure it aint as fancy as enso seems to be but it works better having tried both out! I use launch at home on my PC! Eoin
Scott
on 25 Jan 07Enso is OK but I agree with Aza about the Caps Lock key. Hitting Caps Lock and Alt seemed to be a solution but for the action to take place you need to hit the Caps Lock again. In addition I work in an environment that requires Caps for the login ID and password. Enso hijacks the Caps Lock function so now I need to hold down shift. Didn’t they mention something about that on the site? Oh here it is ” For instance, take your Caps Lock key; have you ever accidentally pressed it unknowingly, only to find that everything you type LOOKS LIKE THIS?
When that happens, all that habituation you’ve built up about how to type on a keyboard gets subverted”
I gave it a try and didn’t find it to be a particularly compelling application for me so I’ll stick with Colibri http://colibri.leetspeak.org which is a free Open Source alternative. Others may have a different experience.
Kiere El-Shafie
on 25 Jan 07Couple of things…
First, one thing that makes keyboard use on the Mac so great is the location of the Command (Apple key). The left key is located right under my unused left thumb. It is very easy to hold the Command key while typing with my other fingers. I think Enso may be more useful if you could use a key closer to the space bar. Of course, that is on my laptop. The full size keyboard puts that key a little farther away.
Second, I think it is really neat that Aza (and team) took some of the really interesting stuff from his Dad’s (sorry, Jef’s) Archy program to “the next level”.
I have never used Enso or Archy but like to think that if I was still stuck using Windows, I would pay anything to have that functionality. ;-)
Paul M. Watson
on 25 Jan 07And before anyone else tries; it doesn’t work on Windows XP under a Parallels VM (or in VMWare apparently.) It installs and runs fine but doesn’t pick up the caps lock press. Humanized told me they are aware of the problem and want us to email the Parallels and VMWare teams to fix the problem.
Looks like a nice app though.
Andy Kant
on 25 Jan 07$25 for what is roughly equivalent to the built-in Win+R? No thanks. Plus, if we’re going for speed here…Why not just do: Win+R – “calc” – Enter
Need a new keyword? Create a shortcut to the executable in the PATH. I throw all of my frequently used shortcuts in “C:\Windows\System32” but you could just as easily make your own directory somewhere and add that to the PATH as well.
Honestly, it looks like the Enso Launcher is just capturing your text and is comparing it to the “D:\Documents and Settings\\Start Menu” directory. I bet the majority of the time was spent on the GUI rather than the actual functionality (which is maybe an hour’s work aside from testing).
Andy Kant
on 25 Jan 07“D:\Documents and Settings\ \Start Menu” = “D:\Documents and Settings\ All Users OR username\Start Menu”
Kiere El-Shafie
on 25 Jan 07Andy,
I think you missed the point of the software. Don’t discount UI design. It is extremely important. While I don’t mind spending some time in the Terminal, my mom (sister, wife, best friend, whatever) never will. They need UI… BETTER UI.
For you, creating a shortcut and dropping in the proper directory “Aunt Sue” even know what the sys32 directory is? Or where it is?
I think the idea of the program is to make a better computer interface, not a better calculator. That is why it is open-ended for more features. You should watch some of the demo videos and read up on the philosophy behind the software.
Kiere El-Shafie
on 25 Jan 07Whoa! Some of my second paragraph disappeared. It should say:
For you, creating a shortcut and dropping it in the proper directory is a no-brainer. How would “Aunt Sue” even know what the sys32 directory is? Or WHERE it is?
My apologies… I think my User Interface got in the way. ;-)
Mark
on 25 Jan 07Activewords looks really promising. You bring up the shortcut box by double-tapping Shift, or whatever key you wish. I suppose caps-lock would be cool too. Caps, Caps, then type “g usability”. That brings up a browser window with a google search for usability. And the whole thing can be modified with plugins, so you can have a set of keywords specific to your company. Very cool program. Not sure how Enso would compare.
Now, what about Linux? Come on people! No more command line hacking please.
Kiere El-Shafie
on 25 Jan 07I don’t know Python, but if Enso is written in Python (I thought I heard that somewhere) what is stopping them from hiring someone that really knows Linux and/or Mac OS and adapting it to those platforms?
Leo
on 26 Jan 07Seeing from the demo movie on their site, this looks like it’s heavily dependent on exact commands…isn’t it?
I mean: -Open x -Start x -Run x -Execute x
Now they may have included those…but if you look at all the functions the program has, and will have, and all the metaphors you can “make up” to describe those actions, they may spend more time thinking of those than actually coding…
(Probably I’m seeing things wrong, but this is wat came to mind first).
Random guy
on 26 Jan 07I’m no rocket scientist, but why do you need to type the entire word OPEN instead just O space and then the application name. It would save 3 letters of typing each time.
Mark
on 26 Jan 07I tried it and didnt see any real time savings or practicality with it. Especially when the Windows +R method or Ctrl +X, C or V is much more efficient than…
Hit Caps Lock—no wait, hold down Caps Lock
Crap, that’s the Tab key not Caps Lock
open pjotos….photoshop
Mouse ->Start->All Applications…blahblah is much less frustrating.
I will say however, that I am truly impressed with these lads and their backgrounds. They got some serious genius going on over there, and no doubt this will evolve into something great. It’s not there yet and not yet ready (in the opinion of my wallet) of a purchase.
My thought is that iteration should be a complete freebie to build the buzz and get people hooked.
By the way, now that I’m done with trying it, is there a humanized way to uninstall? I tried caps lock +uninstall enzo, but that’s not a recognized command ;)
JF
on 26 Jan 07My thought is that iteration should be a complete freebie to build the buzz and get people hooked.
Few things annoy me more than statements like this. It’s time to stick up for people who sell things.
Suggesting the results of someone’s efforts should be nothing more than a freebie is the ultimate disrespect of their time, effort, energy, and passion.
Atul, Aza, and the rest of the Humanized crew: Don’t be discouraged by people who don’t think you’re worthy of a return on your hard work.
Mark
on 26 Jan 07Jason—
You completely took that out of context. I’m not “telling” them to do anything, I just offered a thought from a marketing perspective on the assumption that this iteration is a preview of more features to come (as is suggested in their video).
As others have mentioned in this thread, it’s hard to justify paying for a nice looking widget that opens applications with a few keystrokes (yes, it does more than that, I know) when there is a “free” option in Windows that does the same.
When they start rolling out some of these more advanced features, then I’ll take more notice and gladly whip out the ole AMEX.
I gave ‘em their props, and I do see potential in this. I just think that maybe having a free version, as in the free, limited version of BaseCamp, or the free download of “Getting Real” to increase the circulation of the idea might be something worth exploring for them—or maybe not.
Chillax dude.
JF
on 26 Jan 07When they start rolling out some of these more advanced features, then I’ll take more notice and gladly whip out the ole AMEX .
Declaring you aren’t going to buy it is of course your free choice. Nothing wrong with that at all. But declaring someone else’s work should be free is the ultimate disrespect of their efforts.
Mark
on 26 Jan 07Jason, I’m not going to comment past this, because your blog is not the place for our disagreement on terms.
I threw an idea out there—period. Perhaps that idea should’ve been presented in person, over a mocha latte half caff and cheesecake so the intent in which it was spoken would have been clear.
It was an idea (misunderstood in this forum) that, like all ideas, is available to be accepted or rejected.
You obviously have me confused with some of your 32,000 guests who dont think designers and developers are worth a toilet flush.
You would be wrong in that assessment, and going down this whole disrespect road is nothing but a waste of time and energy.
I like what these guys are doing. I like what you are doing. Being 43, married with 2 young kids, a working wife, a consulting gig and late night attempts to build a company - I’m big on the idea of simple. In fact, I will gladly dig deep into the money well for those things that truly make my life simpler - I guess you could look into my paid BaseCamp account for proof of that.
I’m one of those in the “no” means “maybe” camp with this, and I’d think there are probably a few more like me out there. As you’re no doubt aware, there are a myriad of business / marketing books / gurus out there specializing on folks just like me. We need to be swayed, seduced, romanced, convinced…We need the free sample.
Offer us a toothpick and give us a bite of the cheese. If it’s good or the potential is there for the future development you’ve already told us is coming, the money and the word-of-mouth will come and it’ll supplant whatever hit you had to take on the cheese and toothpicks initially.
But, whatever.
ah
on 26 Jan 07So, a 30-day trial isn’t a free sample?
starpause
on 26 Jan 07@ Mark 25 Jan 07 :
KDE desktop has something quite like this since 1995, check katapult. ENSO even uses a similar slingshot icon.
I like that ENSO isn’t just a launcher, it takes quicksilver interface and lets you do more with it. Navigating to specific firefox tabs is pretty nice!
Once I try Activewords and Launchy as well i’ll have a better opinion on ENSO. I’ve been using Winkey to quickly launch my applications for years!
Anonymous Coward
on 26 Jan 07So, a 30-day trial isn’t a free sample?
Yes it’s a free sample that the developer decides to give away. It’s the developer’s decision which is entirely different than some average Joe out there saying “your product should be free!”
MH
on 28 Jan 07The idea is that you type enough of the command until the program can autocomplete the rest; that way you can have as many commands that begin with O as you like.
That’s the problem with the modifier key + letter system that we have now: you can’t, for example, assign A for Annotate because it’s already used for Select All, so you end up using a hard-to-remember combination of modifiers and/or a completely different letter.
I think requiring a few extra keystrokes is more than worth the cost, when you have commands that work the same system-wide and are easy to remember.
This discussion is closed.