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Hey jxyama thanks for mentioning LaunchBar this is a great little program. I love it, if you guys don't have it you should download it.
 
os9 application menu over osX dock

back to the original question: ams.vercrusesse.de

has a great utility that I've used since moving to osX. Personally, I find the dock great for launching apps (I keep mine on the right side, not the bottom), but it's horrible for quickly seeing which apps are active and jumping between apps, especially when you have a very full dock (like myself). The AMS utility mentioned above is perfect for this.
 
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