This post applies to Snow Leopard specifically and is useful for Leopard and consequently.... Lion and Mountain Lion albeit not directly.
Some history is required.
In the days of OS9, Mac users grew weary of constantly having to open the hard drive and navigating to applications to launch them.
The simple solution in OS9 was to create an Alias on the desktop thus enabling quick convenience.
Apple said, Oh!, that's a great idea! Why don't we use it and.... the Dock was created.
The Dock is merely a fancy application alias holder.
Then came OSX with the Dock.
OSX users soon discovered that adding all their applications to the dock for easy access created a very cluttered Dock with tiny little icons.
What the user really wanted was a convenient application alias holder AND one click access to ALL applications.
Apple said, Oh!, that's a great idea! Why don't we use it and.... LaunchPad was created.
Launchpad is merely a fancy ALL application alias holder.
How did the user create a one click access to ALL applications????
The user simply dragged the Applications Folder to the right side of the Dock.
Did that fly by too fast?
If you wish a VIRTUAL LaunchPad in Leopard or Snow Leopard without any third party software or downloads that is in alphabetical order and remains in alphabetical order and allows one click access to ALL applications.... then Drag your Applications Folder to the right side of the Dock.
This action is why LaunchPad was created in the first place.
Once you do this incredibly simple thing.... set your view options by right clicking on the Applications Folder (now in the Dock) and choose Folder, Grid, Name. (or whatever viewing options you prefer)
PS
Obviously you can do the same in Lion or Mountain Lion but why would you since you have LaunchPad?
There is only 1 difference.... IF.... an application is within a Folder inside of the Applications folder, you will need to double click on that folder using the method I defined.
It is still radically more convenient than navigating and cleans up the Dock so it contains only your most used applications and ALL others are only a click away.
SOMETIMES.... the simplest solution is the best.
