UtilityLaunch ™

A Powerful Apple IIGS Program Selector/Launcher

© 1988-1998 by

George R. Wilde

What is UtilityLaunch?

UtilityLaunch is a powerful Apple IIGS Program Selector/Launcher which gives the user the capability of launching any program from either a standard file selection dialog box or from an easily configured menu presented in a window on the Desktop. Up to 50 launch selection menus, each containing up to 40 simple button entries or 16 icon button entries, can be quickly configured using a standard file selection dialog box (just point and click on the programs to be configured). UtilityLaunch permits very rapid launching of all programs under GS/OS (much faster than with the Finder). The capabilities incorporated into UtilityLaunch include:

Ability to launch any S16, SYS, EXE, BAS, BIN, or TXT (EXEC) file. (The latter three types must be capable of being run from BASIC. Only some EXE files can be properly executed).
Ability to switch slots (GS internal slots or slot cards), speed, and colors, as well as certain modem and printer parameters, monochrome/color display settings, and startup slot upon launching of any program, and return to default settings at completion of that program.
Ability to set default slot configurations, speed, colors, monochrome/color display, and certain modem and printer parameters independent of the control panel, and return to a predefined set of these parameters upon exiting from UtilityLaunch.
Ability to boot any bootable drive or scan any bootable drive.
Ability to autostart any of several programs whenever the disk is booted, and return to UtilityLaunch upon program completion.
Ability to easily configure any UtilityLaunch Menu Screen, including the ability to easily import any icons and the ability to choose any desired colors for the menu buttons.
Ability to set a screen blackout timer to blackout the monitor's screen after a period of nonuse, to avoid permanently damaging the screen when non-changing bright images are displayed for prolonged periods of time.
Ability to limit general access to only selected menus and program features. This will prevent inexperienced users, such as children or students, from accessing programs that could potentially destroy a hard disk.
Ability to easily insert, edit, delete, and rearrange menu entries. Ability to create Boot Buttons to boot any desired slot, Scan Buttons to scan any desired slot, Menu Buttons to select any desired menu, Purge Buttons to purge memory, and Shutdown Buttons to shutdown the computer. Ability to view the current settings of any menu entry, or printout the entire menu settings or menu screen. Ability to delete or copy entire menu screens.
Ability to purge all purgeable Apple IIGS memory, including ability to purge memory immediately prior to launch of an applications program.
Ability to pass startup paths to programs being launched. This provides a capability for now having separate UtilityLaunch menu buttons to directly launch different IBM programs with the PC Transporter.
Ability to control the TransWarp GS card's speed and IRQ settings or the ZIP GS card's speed and delay settings with any menu entry.
Ability to import all previously constructed menus generated with earlier versions of UtilityLaunch.

UtilityLaunch is Shareware. It is available without charge only to those who register their copy on this UtilityLaunch WEB Site.

Rave Reviews by the Experts!

GS+ Magazine July-August 1992 - "The Software Bargain Bin Shareware Reviews" by Brian M. Winn

"I have been a die-hard fan of the Finder and I thought I would never replace it with another launching program This has all changed with the new version of UtilityLaunch...The program is very easy to use and set-up, and the on-disk documentation is wonderful. Actually, I had it up and running before even peeking at the documentation...If you are a power user that changes your system settings often between executions, or if you are a basic user that wants an easier way to launch your favorite programs than the Finder offers, UtilityLaunch may be for you."

Get the Documentation

The following comprehensive documentation is provided in Adobe Portable Data Format (PDF). You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this documentation. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, just click on the Adobe Acrobat button below to go to the Adobe Acrobat Reader site. Follow the instructions on this site to download the latest version of Acrobat Reader.

UtilityLaunch User's Manual - A comprehensive manual explaining how to use UtilityLaunch to maximum advantage

UtilityLaunch Reference Manual - An in-depth explanation of all of UtilityLaunch's many features and capabilities

UtilityLaunch Features - A short document cantaining a brief description of new features in UtilityLaunch 2.0

UtilityLaunch Tutorial - A guide to setting up your first UtilityLaunch Menu

UtilityLaunch Release Notes - A complete discussion of all changes made to the various versions of UtilityLaunch

Download the Program

The following files can either be downloaded with your Browser (Save them in Source format), or with an FTP utility (download them in binary format) after logging into ftp://grwsystems.net as an anonymous user (User Name: anonymous@grwsystems.net).

UtilityLaunch Program Disk (Version 2.4) - The Program Disk in GS.ShrinkIt Format with Binary II wrapper. GS-ShrinkIt or Shrink II will remove the wrapper and extract the files.

GS-ShrinkIt (Version 1.1) - This is a ShrinkIt self-extracting archive inside a Binary II wrapper. You must download this file with Binary II turned on, or use some other utility after the download to remove the Binary II wrapper. Then just run the program on your Apple IIGS to have it extract itself. GS-ShrinkIt is copyrighted freeware.

UtilityLaunch Disk Labels in Canvas 5.0 Format - Print your own professional UtilityLaunch disk labels on Avery 5196 Laser Printer Labels.