Let me check this. Do you use the (default) option to automatically minimize Echo when it loses focus? (This option is at Preferences -> Display -> MinimizeOnDecativate). If you do, Echo should minimize on startup regardless of StartMinimized, due to the fact that when Windows starts applications, Echo is very likely to lose focus soon after Windows has launched it.
Yes, MinimizeOnDeactivate is set to true. I'd prefer if the StartMinimized option works as expected and hides the Echo window on startup :) I start a lot of applications via FARR and usually don't look at the monitor while doing this (10 finger typing) and somehow Echo get's "in the way" if the first key after it's start isn't the Escape key.
Yes, that is a separate setting: Preferences -> Capturing Clips -> CatchUpOnConnect.
Ah, sorry, that's something I've missed. Turned it off and now it works fine :)
3.) Adding one additional modifier is a good idea and letting the user decide which modifiers does what is even better. Please include the Win-key if you're doing this.
But I still think it could be done with a "mode switch".
E.g.:
The swith could "obey" to this logic: if the first character that is pressed is a digit (while the Echo window is open) it doesn't go into the searchbox but selects the #<number> entry in the list. If it's a different character it goes directly into the searchbox. Btw, it's probably better to just select the entry instead of directly pasting it because you can use e.g. shift + enter to use the paste as plain text option once it's selected. Typing the same digit a second time (or any other character) would activate the search box as usual. I personally don't search for values inside the clipboard very often so I would activate the switch permanently. This would probably the best or at least the fastest way to select entries in the list if you don't want to use the mouse.
Regards,
highend