If you’re still using XP or Vista (and 68% of you are!) and you use more than one monitor, I bet you’re pretty tired of having to use your mouse to move application windows from monitor to monitor. Especially if you tend to keep your windows maximized. You have to click to shrink the window, then you have to draaaaaag it across your desktop, then you have to click again to re-maximize it. Not a big deal… unless you’re doing it over and over again. Then it’s just annoying. Wouldn’t it be easier just to press a couple keys instead?
If you’re using Windows 7, and you use more than one monitor I bet you’re pretty excited about the native keyboard shortcuts that move windows around your desktop. You can even drag a maximized window around without having to un-maximize it first! Pretty cool. But how often have you found that you need to move application 1 to monitor 2 AND application 2 to monitor 1? You know, just swap ‘em. Sure, it’s not that big of a deal to move one and then the other. But wouldn’t it be cool if there was a keyboard shortcut to do that in all in one shabang?
QuickShift is your answer. It enables you to keep your hands on your keyboard by setting fully-customizable global hotkeys that resize, relocate, and reposition application windows. Want to instantly swap the two top-most windows from the two most recently used monitors? No problem. Want to compare two documents side by side? Easy. These functions along with all the basics you’d expect—such as minimizing, maximizing, restoring, and moving to another monitor—are all here. Lightweight and minimalistic, without needless extras.
The best part of all is that QuickShift is now FREE! Download QuickShift now and it’s free for life, including major upgrades. That’s a good investment because version 2.0 is on its way, with all kinds of exciting goodies especially for Windows 7 users. Better install your copy now, before the price goes back up. Scroll down for more information on the features.
System Requirements:
- Windows 2000 Professional, XP, Vista, or Windows 7.
- More than monitor. There’s no upper limit in terms of the number of monitors, BUT they must be arranged horizontally. QuickShift is a pretty smart puppy, but hasn’t been trained to handle vertical monitor arrays yet.
- High DPI displays (> 96) aren’t currently supported.
A brief word about “inter-software” interaction:
QuickShift works by sticking its hands in other programs’ cookie jars. Not literally, of course, but most software wasn’t exactly written to respond to QuickShift’s every beck and call. It’s a little like pretending to throw the ball for a dog: some dogs will start running even though you never let go, while others will stare at you like, well, aren’t you going to throw the ball? So most of the time, application windows will do exactly what QuickShift tells them to do. But some applications will just stare and shrug. I’ve tested it with every application window I can think of and while there are a few hiccups, it works perfectly with the overwhelming majority of applications. Here’s a list of currently known issues. Most involve media players. I’m working on fixes for those. If you find a new problem, please let me know. I will try my best to fix all these issues, however I have made peace with the fact that there will always be some compatibility issues with software like this.
Feature Details
(Note: XP/Vista users get it all; Windows 7 users only get what they don’t already have.)
| What you get with QuickShift | Already got that with Windows 7? |
| Move active window to next or previous monitor | Yep |
| Toggle active window between maximized and restored state | Yep |
| Minimize active window | Sorta — You have to restore it first. |
| Move active window to next or previous monitor and simultaneously toggle between maximized/restored state | Nope! Only with QuickShift. |
| Minimize all except active window | Yep |
| Simultaneously swap the two top-most windows from the last two actively used monitors | Nope! And you’re really missing out with this one! |
| Maximize active window to top or bottom half of the current monitor | Nope! Only with QuickShift. |
| Maximize active window to right or left side of the current monitor | Yep |
| Maximize active window across all monitors (span) | Nope! Only with QuickShift. |
| Allows Windows Logo keys to be used in hotkeys | Yeah, but you can’t change them. |
| Key combinations are fully customizable | Nope! Only with QuickShift. |
| Performance enhancements for older/slower machines | (Not Applicable) |
| Ensures that windows move completely on to destination screen (Handy when monitors of different resolutions are used) | Nope! Only with QuickShift. |