The Launchy developers have released version 2.5 of their cross-platform application launcher utility, adding support for Mac OS X and new shortcut keys and controls

Launchy and GNOME Do are both two launcher programs that are designed to let you quickly open applications and files and perform tasks you want done quickly, with just the tapping of a few keys.
Previously, Launchy had been an open source solution, albeit for Windows only, and GNOME Do was the Linux solution.

There are quite a few good launcher utilities out there that can make a great addition to your productivity arsenal. Gnome Do is probably the most popular, but if you are looking for something less flashy and more streamlined, try Launchy.

Today we’ll compare three of the better known launchers for Linux – Launchy, GNOME Do, and Kupfer. While they all have roughly the same function, each has a different take on how it should be done, and the configuration capabilities vary greatly from one to the next. Here, you’ll see what makes each one unique.

Launcher applications such as LaunchBar and Launchy over on other platforms are becoming increasingly popular.

We’re all swamped with information: emails, documents, pictures and the hundreds of websites we visit every week. There are two ways to deal with the data overload: Get organised and file everything in its right pace. Or you can use GNOME Do, a desktop launcher for Ubuntu in the style of Launchy for Windows and Katapult for KDE, which acts as your humble servant and finds exactly what you’re looking for when you’re looking for it.

"... if for example you have two windows in your application and both of them have a file menu, rather than having the file menu code in both of the windows, you can define an overlay and then share this one file between both windows. This centralizes the code for the file menu and makes updating/extending the menu much easier because code changes are only required in one place..."

If you like a clean, tidy Gnome desktop, you probably don't want it littered with file shortcut icons. Wouldn't it be nice to have a drop-down (or drop-up) file menu in one of the Gnome panels, from which you could select and launch your frequently used documents, spreadsheets, images, etc?

The K Desktop Environment (KDE) has more menu styles than any other desktop environment available. There is the Classical type, the Kickoff style (which most users dislike), Lancelot (better than Kickoff, but with a few shortcomings), the ROSA Launcher (for Mandriva Desktop 2011), and the Takeoff Launcher.