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Add to SafariWhen comparing Avant Window Navigator vs Synapse, the Slant community recommends Synapse for most people. In the question“What are the best app launchers for UNIX-like systems?” Synapse is ranked 9th while Avant Window Navigator is ranked 27th. The most important reason people chose Synapse is:
Synapse is pretty rock solid. Works as expected and launches applications fast.
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Tons of plugins
AWN comes with a big selections of applets such as a CPU monitor or clock or trash bin. This means one can easily turn the docks functionality into that of a taskbar. There is even an app launcher applet that will group all of ones apps in one place just like a start menu.
Pro Easily customized
There is a wide array of setting available to theming and customizing the dock.
Pro Rock solid
Synapse is pretty rock solid. Works as expected and launches applications fast.
Pro Can run commands just as a terminal would
Users can run commands such as sudo apt-get update from within Synapse, making for a convenient way to open or run items/commands.
Pro Zeitgeist powered
Synapse searches the Zeitgeist log, which tends to be a pretty quick way to do searches over other app launchers.
Pro Includes a Zeal plugin
Includes a Zeal plugin to make searching faster.
Cons
Con Project is dead
Has not been update since 2013 and has been already pulled from many repos. While it still can be installed and works as it did in 2013, no more fixes or features are expected.
Con Synapse is an abandoned project
The latest release was 7 years ago and the Launchpad page is a ghost town
Con Unable to search whole system
Due to Zeitgeist being used the search is not as robust as if it were using Tracker. Of course using Tracker has its own downside like battery drain, so currently there is no "best" solution.
Con Bound to control+space
Due to this it interferes with common IDE layouts for recommendations. Modifying hotkeys file doesn't adjust this.
