The iPhone doesn't support app launchers in the same way as OS X, but that doesn't mean app developers haven't come up with clever workarounds. Case in point, our pick for the best launcher, Launch Center Pro lets you launch not only apps, but specific actions within apps.
The variety of alternative launchers is one of the best advantages of Android. Although we might not have expected one from Microsoft, the company has recently released a beta launcher. It comes with a built-in to-do list, quick shortcuts to contacts, and other handy features.
Android: Similar to Quad Drawer, AppDialer is a launcher for Android that uses the old-school T9 keypad for input. The focus here is on speed and ease, as AppDialer thinks a T9 keyboard is faster for entry than a standard QWERTY -- and the search results update in real time as well.
Speaking to your computer hasn't quite caught in the way 1970s science-fiction suggested it would, but it is possible. If you want to talk to your computer to launch apps, TUAW shows off how to do it in OS X Mavericks.
Android: Even the best-organised Android phone can a pain to browse if you have lots of apps and cluttered home screens. Quad Drawer gets you to your apps faster. The app can sort your apps the way you like, or let you type their name on a T9 or your regular keyboard to open them.
Windows 7: When you sit down at your computer in the morning, you probably have a handful of applications you open at once to start your day. Windows 7 App Launcher (7APL) can open select applications or groups of applications with a single click, or you can bind application groups to key commands and open all of your "work apps" or "gaming apps" with a keystroke.
iOS still doesn't have quick access to apps like certain Android launchers, but GigaOm notes that you can use the Notification Center to quickly access certain apps. Here's how.
Mac OS X: Tab Launcher is an app launcher and organiser that uses manila folder-style coloured tabs as app drawers, each meant to be for a different category of apps (like System, Games or Writing). Using Tab Launcher allows you to keep little, if anything at all, in the actual OS X Dock, leaving it free to only show which apps are currently open.
Mac OS X: Quicksilver has long been a favoured application launcher for Mac users who want ultra-customised keyboard control. While active development ceased for quite a few years, activity resumed last year and has continued apace, with version ß59 hitting servers last week.
Nearly everything can be edited somehow in a Linux system, and that includes what each key press does. The gHacks blog shows us how to create global application shortcuts that fire up Firefox, a text editor or anything you'd like.
Mac OS X only: Universal application launcher and then some Quicksilver has a pretty shaky future, so we were both surprised and thrilled to find a new release of Quicksilver boasting, among other things, improved performance.
Windows only: The Windows 7 taskbar is pretty convenient, but if you are running an older version of Windows (or are just looking for a cool mouse-based launcher), MouseExtender is a sleek program that launches with one click of the mouse.
Remember the days of digging through folders of shortcuts and menus to launch applications? These days many users prefer customisable, attractive docks for launching and keeping track of their favourite apps. Here's a look at five of the most popular docks.
