What's your favorite program launcher? Ask DLS

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Ask DLS

What's your favorite program launcher? Ask DLS

by Brad Linder Nov 27th 2007

OS X has its dock, Windows Vista has an enhanced start menu, and Windows XP has, well, a bunch of menus to click through to launch programs. But thanks to independent developers, there are a ton of great program launchers out there that make it easy to bring an OS X-style dock to Windows, or keyboard program launchers to pretty much any operating system.

Over the years we've tried out a ton of program launchers, but we're not sure we've settled on a favorite. The sidebar launchers for Vista and Yahoo! Widget Engine are kind of nice. RocketDock is amazing if you have a handful or applications you use all the time. And keyboard launcher Launchy is all kinds of awesome, if you can remember the name of the program your looking for.

But we haven't yet found one launcher to rule them all. So we turn to you, our loyal Download Squad readers. What's your favorite application launcher, and why? Oh yeah, and don't forget to let us know what operating systems it works with. While Launchy and RocketDock are both Windows-only, we don't want to leave out applications like Google Desktop that are cross-platform.

Tags: gadgets, launchers, launchy, program-launchers, rocketdock, widgets

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

Gary said 11:25AM on 11-27-2007

True Launch Bar http://www.truelaunchbar.com

True Launch Bar allows you to combine your shortcuts into groups. This feature looks like popup menus.

Virtual folders, and add ons for weather-music-you name it.

Great program!

Isaac Rabinovitch said 10:35PM on 12-04-2007

Right you are. TLB is basically Quick Launch done right. The only feature I really care about is the support for pop-up menus on the launch bar and on other menus. This allows the 20 or so programs I used day-to-day to be no more than a few clicks away. That alone makes the program worth paying for. There are lots of other features (GUI customizations, plugins that display real-time information) that are nicely done, and moderately useful.

Tom said 11:43AM on 11-27-2007

Forgot to add the URL -

WinKey: http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,5506-order,1-page,1-c,alldownloads/description.html

Lon Phillips said 12:03PM on 11-27-2007

I use Faster Than Ever cuz it is!

kingkool68 said 12:12PM on 11-27-2007

I love Bayden System's Slickrun. It's the perfect light weight launcher -> http://www.bayden.com/SlickRun/

essjay said 12:16PM on 11-27-2007

I can't believe Quicksilver hasn't been mentioned yet. It's not just a launcher but it will literally change the way you use your computer. One of the best applications I've ever come across. Of course, it's OSX only...

pal said 7:43AM on 12-10-2007

Quicksilver on Mac.. it's the best I've know so far...

pal :)

D said 12:16PM on 11-27-2007

SlickRun is vastly superior to Launchy.

http://www.bayden.com/SlickRun/

David said 6:36PM on 11-27-2007

Why? SlickRun's website is sparse on information.

westudi said 12:25PM on 11-27-2007

I mostly use my Logitech G15 keyboard and use the programmable macro keys for the programs I use much. When I run in a Vista environment, I certainly appreciate the sidebar too, but can mirror a great deal of that by using the quick launch bar. If there was a painless and easy way to install the Vista Sidebar on XP, I would use it.

Billy Goats said 12:32PM on 11-27-2007

I use Rocketdock, and I also have Objectdock(free version) installed, and right now, I'm torn.

Rocketdock's label text is nice and anti-aliased, Objectdock's is not. Objectdock will give space around the dock, and keep your icons from going under/over it, Rocketdock won't.

I would like to see Rocketdock implement the space around the dock; I'd become a lifelong user then.

You'd think that a company like Stardock would have already considered the ugly aliased text and also given you the ability to choose what font you'd like to use for your text labels. Maybe the paid version does this - I don't know.

Jaymez said 12:38PM on 11-27-2007

I use the classic start menu for XP. The less there is on my desktop, the better. Even Widgets and lauchbars are too much for my prefence. I'd rather deal with the menus.

Sang said 12:41PM on 11-27-2007

Quicksilver rules them all
http://docs.blacktree.com/quicksilver/what_is_quicksilver

It is most extensible and flexible app launcher I've seen. Though it's mainly used as app launcher, quicksilver can do so much more. It's only limitation is what kind of plug ins are being used.
For example, with itunes plug in, you can browse your itunes library via quicksilver and manipulate them just as if you are in itunes. you can play/pause, increase/decrease volumes, ratings, jump to songs, play an album, etc etc. With Addressbook plug in, you can browse through your contacts, browse into indivitual contacts to get specific information, and send emails to them directly all in quicksilver.

quicksilver has bit of stiff learning curve if you want to use it for it's full potential, but when you do, it can save you tons of time. only downside is it's mac only... well more reasons to switch eh?

for windows, i use launchy.. wish they have quicksilver for windows, but that's just not happening..

Jerry D. Neal said 12:42PM on 11-27-2007

My favorite launcher is Quicklauncher. I'm using KDE on openSUSE Linux 10.3. It enables you to have every desktop shortcut as a small panel icon, just like the Windows Quick Launch bar, and you can have as many as you like. I've tried every program launcher in Windows I know of since 1996, and as far as I'm concerned, this beats them all.

Robert Clark said 12:44PM on 11-27-2007

I personally use LaunchOnFly from http://www.arturdev.com. you can get the latest version for I think 15 bucks US or you can use the freeware version 1.31 (doesn't nag you unless you tell it to update).

I currently use the freeware version to totally replace my start menu with just a couple of exceptions. Its lightweight enough that all I do is hit a keycombo or mouse to a certain part of my screen (usuallyupper left corner) and it opens up faster than the taskbar pops up when it is hidden, let alone the comparatively slow Start Menu.

Tristan said 1:07PM on 11-27-2007

I use Dash @ www.trydash.com
it is the best and most attractive.
I paid $20.
PEACE

Forrest said 1:19PM on 11-27-2007

I've been using Enso by http://www.humanized.com/ lately, pretty slick launcher.

gregger said 3:12PM on 11-27-2007

Wow, Enso is really interesting! The Web enabled beta tool is something I really can use. I'll have to try the app launcher.

Thanks!
TTFN

Tristan said 1:21PM on 11-27-2007

I use Dash @ www.trydash.com
it is the best and most attractive.
I paid $20.
PEACE
ehm.. Windows XP

Velcrocore said 2:09PM on 11-27-2007

I'm all about Rocket Dock, left side of the screen, set as fast as it can go.

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