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As any veteran of Microsoft’s Windows Operating System knows, the ALT-TAB function is a convenient way to immediately switch from one application to another, underscoring Windows’ multi-tasking properties.

Like many features within Windows, while extremely functional, it doesn’t exactly lend itself to the overall appearance of the Windows platform. More important, the function can lead to frustration, with many people unsure of what “window” they’re switching to.

However, for users of the latest versions of Windows (XP, Vista, and the recently unveiled Windows 7), a helpful and considerably more attractive utility would seem to supplant that rather basic command we’ve grown accustomed to using. Offering the same functionality, this tool takes the core feature of ALT-TAB and augments it to an impressive degree.

Instead of giving you a mere row comprised of the applications to select from, VistaSwitcher provides a sizable window, granting you a beautifully realized preview of what’s available. Use it just as you would “ALT-TAB,” by pressing those very two keys to bring up the preview area.

VistaSwitcher also enables the following:

• By using the “S” key after you’ve pressed “ALT-TAB,” you can option more than one window for previewing, giving you a number of hot keys with which to manipulate their grouping – C for cascade, V for Vertical, and H for Horizontal.

• When pressing “CTRL-ALT-TAB,” you’ll be able to alternate between open windows within a single application. For instance, as someone who works on multiple writing projects at a time, hopping from one document to the next can quickly become tedious. With this utility, assuming all my documents are worked upon in one application (i.e., Microsoft Word), I’m granted the ability to easily switch from one window to the next in much the same way I would between multiple applications.

If you’d rather go with familiarity, you can always stay with the standard “ALT-TAB” function. But for those of you looking to wring just a bit more from this oft-used function, VistaSwitcher is a great way to spruce up your use of Windows.

You can download VistaSwitcher here.