Launcher

The Launcher is a control panel. It was around since System 7.0.1P for the Macintosh Performa series, although its features then were slightly different.

Launcher (Performa)
The Launcher, under the version released for Performas, didn't just appear as a launch pad. It would also control basic Performa-specific options.

These options, specifically, the option to choose which folder to use when saving a document, and the automatic hiding of programmes in the background (this included the Finder).

With the release of System 7.1P3, the Launcher added a function which enabled additional sections to appear within the Launcher.

The Launcher's success on the Performas was sufficient grounds for its adoption on the mainstream Macintosh system software beginning as of System 7.5.

Launcher (normal)
The current Launcher (as of System 7.5) is not a control panel if one thinks of it as a control panel per se -- it has no options to set. It, however, is a "launcher" or a launch pad. This forms the Launcher window.

The Launcher shows the contents of icons placed in System Folder > Launcher Items. For the different buttons, a bullet mark (•) plus a blank whitespace must be inserted before the name.

There is just one minor option that can be set inside the Launcher: the size of the buttons (icons). The user can choose between small, medium-sized and large buttons.