Rating: 4

Version tested: 2.0.6

HandyFind is a memory resident application that provides an alternative search function in Internet Explorer, Notepad, MS Word, and other programs. It uses a hotkey combination that allows you to quickly scroll forwards and backwards between occurrences of the text you are searching for.

I am going to use the question and answer format for this review:

Q: How does Handyfind work?
A: Pressing the pre-defined hotkey combination will produce a little colored "balloon" where you can enter text; with each character that you type it will jump to the first found occurence. Once your text is found, you can press the right and left arrow keys to find the previous or next instances of that text string within the page or document.

Q: Why is this cool?
A: What I like about Handyman is the speed that you can find different instances of the text you are looking for. I also like how the colored balloons ’mark’or flag the text once it finds it.

Q: Are the hotkeys customizable?
A: They are, but I was not able to use any alphabetical characters when I tried to change them, which I thought was strange. The Handysearch search ’balloons’ are customizable for both size and color scheme.

Q: Does Handysearch work globally with all Windows applications.
A: No. Officially, it works with Internet Explorer, Notepad, MS Excel and MS Word. It also worked for with the program that I use to create my blog postings (Post2Blog) and in one note-taking software I tried. However, it did not work in 2 hierarchical outline programs, Foxit PDF reader, or Thunderbird.

Q: How can this program be better?
A: Glad you asked! One idea is, given that this is geared mainly for IE browser searching, it would be great if it had an option/hotkey whereby it would search hyperlinks. It would also be great if it worked globally within all applications.

Q: Do you recommend this software?
A: If you do a lot of searching for text in Internet Explorer, I do. Also, if it works with your notes program of choice you might well find Handyfind a valuable tool.

Compatibility: Windows 2000, XP, NT (no info on VISTA).

Go to the program home pageto get the latest version (approx 536K).