Quicksilver is a freeware program which offers LaunchBar like functionality and more in a prettier, free package. No more time consuming trips to the Applications folder; simply type ⌘ (command) space followed by the first few letters of the item you want to launch and Quicksilver will find it. If the wrong item surfaces, a secondary match can be selected with the arrow keys, and Quicksilver will learn to bring up the correct choice next time.
Quicksilver goes beyond a simple launcher however; hit tab after choosing a program and an entire list of possible actions appears. Want to get info on the item you selected, rename it, or move it to the trash? No problem. You can even choose to open a file with the selected program, hit tab again, and then use Quicksilver to search for the file to open - without ever touching the Finder. A plugin interface allows even more extended functionality for many popular programs.
This program does so much it's quite impossible to summarize it in such a short review. For a taste, dive into the preferences and explore the nearly 100 actions, 100 plugins, and literally tons of customizability, or explore the extensive online documentation. Suffice it to say that there is plenty of functionality hidden within this software to keep you busy for a long time. After using it for a while, you'll have trouble using a Mac without it and will be downloading and installing it on each Mac you use.
Is LaunchBar dead? Not really; it's simply a matter of preference - both tools have lots to offer. Try them both and see which you prefer.
Addendum 11/6/2007. With the release of Leopard, Spotlight is enough faster to be used instead of QuickSilver. If you've been using QuickSilver, it may be time to give Spotlight a chance again as it offers some additional niftiness which QuickSilver can't match.
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