I work fast and don’t want to be slowed down by moving from keyboard to mouse and back when I don’t have to. Sure, there are situations where a mouse is the only way but, for me, those are really few and far between. If you’re similarly inclined AND a Windows user, these tips are for you.
Windows + B will move focus to the system tray. Once there you can move between tray icons with the arrow keys. When you’ve highlighted the one you want, press the context menu key or Shift-F10 to open its context menu then use the arrow keys to navigate that menu. If you just want to execute the default action for that icon, hit Enter instead of the context menu key.
Windows + TAB will bring focus to the taskbar then you navigate from one app to another with the arrow keys. While there, Control + TAB will navigate among the system tray, Desktop, quick-launch bar and the task bar. At each focus point, the arrow keys will move you among the various items in that area. Again, the context menu key/Shift-F10 will open the context menu for each of those items. Enter, instead of the context menu key, will execute the default action, which usually opens the application.