A few days ago we put together a list of the best application launchers, and as it turns out there were some that were mentioned by commenters which we had never heard of. FMsaziri mentioned one in particular, called Executor, that really caught my eye when I checked it out.
The main thing that I was really impressed with was the Keyword creation utility (screenshots are below). You can setup a keyword to do things like restart your computer, launch a program, open a website, or even have a single keyword perform multiple tasks (such as opening several sites and/or programs). Vista users will also like the fact that you can designate a keyword to always run a program as an administrator.
–Installation–
The download site has two different versions of executor available. One will install Executor onto your computer just like many other programs, but there is also a version available that doesn’t require any installation. I wanted to point out that this might appear to be a portable version at first glance, but it’s actually not. Your settings are stored in the Windows Profile, so your configuration will not carry over from one computer to another without copying the profile.
–Features–
- Fully skinnable
- Keywords have properties like shortcuts, and you can for example drag-drop a shortcut/file/folder/favorite to add it as a keyword
- Auto-completion for keywords, file system and history
- Enter URLs directly (for example, www.google.com)
- Keywords support parameters (for example, “google [SEARCH PHRASE]“)
- Executor can dynamically add matching start-menu items and control panel items to the drop-down/list
- Keyword “find [TEXT]” for using Windows Instant Search (Vista) feature or Windows Desktop Search (WDS for XP)
- Each keyword can be assigned a hotkey, so Executor can also perform like many popular hotkey managers
- One keyword or text input can start multiple keywords, urls, programs, documents, and files (for example, one keyword opens three websites and/or programs)
- All file-paths can be auto-completed
- Option to override windows run hotkey (Win-R)
–Settings–
There are a ton of different options that you can configure in the application. At first the number of settings might be overwhelming, but just take a deep breathe and you’ll be okay. 
The keyword configuration screen (pictured on the left) is extremely powerful. You should pay a visit to the Executor help site for more information on making the most of the keywords.
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Tags: Freeware, Software, Application Launchers, Applications, Desktop Search, Downloads, Features, Keyboard Shortcuts, Screenshots, Search, Settings
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How does this application perform (memory/cpu wise) compare to Launchy? I find Launchy quite slow in Vista.
It is extremely responsive for me, and takes up just 3.5MB which is pretty darn good. I’ve yet to see it lag at anything.
Ryan,
How does it compare with Colibri? I found Colibri faster than Launchy.
I think I like Executor a bit more because of the advanced use of keywords, but as far as speed and performance goes I would say it is pretty close. Also, Executor is a well-update program where as Colibri has kind of been forgotten about.