Working on computers is something many of us do for a living. From being paid to doing what you do, to the hobby-interests many of enjoy, it's the plethora of programs used that can make things a bit less manageable.
First up is
Launchy, an open source keystroke launcher for Windows. With the simple press of Alt+Spacebar or any other hotkeys you like, you'll be presented with a small window that contains a text field. Start typing and Launchy will do its best to give you the result you're looking for. Type in Word, media player, my docs, etc. and with the push of the enter key the program will launch.
Launchy scans your Start Menu, as well as any other folders you would like, and indexes them for easy and instant access without having to navigate a menu with every program you have installed, or looking for a particular icon in your Quick Launch. Using the keyboard is an easy way to get things done quickly.
Since I've started using it, I've gotten rid of my quick launch toolbar and been able to remove most of the icons from my desktop. All that's left there are the usual My Computer, My Documents, Recycle Bin, and 3 program icons I like to keep there.