RocketDock
...lightning-quick smoothly-animated application launcher. It is compatible with the most popular dock skin formats and now has basic support for docklets.

RocketDock is a smoothly animated, alpha-blended application launcher that is similar to ObjectDock. RocketDock renders quickly like MobyDock, has the visual sharpness of Y'z Dock, and the stability that neither seem to possess.

It is compatible with every dock skin format we are aware of. In fact, if you have a skin that doesn't load properly, send it to us, along with a screenshot of what it should look like and we'll see what we can do about integrating the format...And best of all...its FREE

Windows 2000/XP/Vista: RocketDock»

ObjectDock
ObjectDock is a program that lets you organize your short-cuts and running tasks onto an extremely customizable dock that sits on your desktop.

Requirements: Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Program supports accelerated video cards and includes a software rendering mode to run fast on older hardware.

The Free version is for non-commercial use only.

ObjectDock

Docking Tools for Mac
Pure Mac.com

App Launcher

Tired of manually searching through the Windows Start Menu? Ever tried Quicksilver on mac? This is the freeware Windows counterpart. It enables the user to find and execute his/her applications more easily by suffix search rather than manually browsing for it. Check it out!

Requirements: WindowsXP

Development Status : 4 - Beta
Intended Audience : End Users/Desktop

App Launcher Homepage
SourceForge Project Page


BETA software is, by definition, still in test mode and presents a certain level of risk to the end-user.

AL 0.1.6 - November 23, 2006

RKLauncher
RK Launcher is a free application that will allow the user to have a visually pleasing bar at the side of the screen that is used to quickly launch shortcuts. With support for themes, PNG's and ICO's and with smooth amazing animations, RK Launcher is a versatile and great taskbar replacement.

More Info & Download: RKLauncher

LaunchMate
LaunchMate is the program launcher that will end your search. It can dock to any edge of the screen just like the Windows taskbar. You can organize your programs in up to 50 categories a sure a way to remove the clutter. LaunchMate is one of the most customizable programs you'll find. One of its standout features is the ability to set the display settings for each program so that when it is launched the screen will change to those settings. This takes away the hassle of having to remember to change your display setting every time you want to play a game or use a program that works better in a specific display setting.

Operating System: None listed
Note from their forum: "used it with W98, and I go on with Windows XP Pro. It works perfectly."

Website: LaunchMate

Open Source (hosted by SourceForge) - Free!

QLaunch
WTY-QLaunch is a small, freeware application that enables you to organize your programs and documents and to start/access them quickly from the status bar of Windows (95,98,NT, XP, 2000).

Download: QLaunch

QTBar - Quick Toolbar for Windows
QTbar (Quick Toolbar) is a small, free application bar that can be docked to any edge of your Windows Desktop.
QTbar is not just yet another tool bar for Windows desktop. It's been designed to help you manage your hard disk and internet resources as effectively and quickly as possible!

Windows: 9x/Me/NT4/2000/XP
Languages: English/German/Spanish/French/Italian/Polish/Brazil Portugese/Finnish

More Info & Download: QTBar

Y'z Dock 0.8.3
(development ceased)

Y'z Dock is a free program launcher for Windows like the dock in MacOS X. In order to add icons, drag and drop a file (.exe, shortcut, etc.) straight from Explorer to the dock area. In order to delete an icon, drag and drop the icon out of dock. Place the PNG images for your icons in the icons folder. Right-click on the icons in the dock, choose 'Property' and choose your icons images there. Right-click anywhere on your dock background and choose 'Setting' to change the settings that apply to the dock itself.

Download | Users & Support: Y'z Apps forum

RunMe - What is it?
RunMe is a launcher in NLauncher's or Aston's launcher's style. It supports special effects, animation and skins with transparency.

Additional language files (for v0.7.5 only):
German language file
Polish language file
Bulgarian language file
Spanish language file

http://www.aqua-soft.org/board/showthread.php?t=47101

Executor
by Martin Bresson
A multi purpose launcher and more advanced and customizable freeware windows run replacement and more...

This is a multi purpose launcher and a more advanced and customizable version of windows run. The program originated as I was sick of spending too much time searching for programs through my ever growing windows start-menu, and also I missed a tool that could ease and optimize my da"ily work flow. There was of course already programs like this available, but each had it's annoyance or missing features or too(!) geeky." ...Martin Bresson

Installer & Easily Portable - does not write to registry.

Features, More Info & Download: Executor

myDock
by Alexandre Grigorovitch

MyDock a program launcher/organizer which combines functionality of Windows Start Menu, Taskbar and QuickLaunch.

Here is how it works. By default dock is populated with number of items such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Word, Media Player etc. If you click an item and application is not yet running, dock will start it. If application is already running, dock will bring all application's windows to the front. Blue circle on the bottom of an item indicates if application is already running.

The simplest way to add an application to the dock is to start application from anywhere in the system and then 'pin' it to the dock by selecting 'pin' option from the content menu. You can remove an item by using "remove" option in the context menu accessible by right click.


Requires SilverLight 2.0.

More Info & Download:
http://alexezh.googlepages.com/