AllTray - Pre-Launching Ubuntu Applications

The simplest way to speed up your Ubuntu desktop is to use Alltray.
Alltray is a tool you can use to park applications in the tray – that's the area of the panel where the volume controls and network applet reside.
The effect is "instant-on" applications.

Ubuntu is Linux, and a such it's inherently fast. The single slowest point of any Ubuntu desktop is the launching of applications.

On my P4-era laptop, Evolution, the default mail application, takes 4 to 5 seconds to launch. Alltray eliminates that launch delay, and docks the application for instant recall. – Admittedly, compared to the current Multi-Core processors found in newer computers, P4 is starting to get a little old. If you're stuck with a P3 or P4 however, AllTray will bring some snap back to your desktop.

Installation is as easy as typing sudo apt-get install alltray in a terminal. You can go the slow route too of course by going through Synaptic.

Once installed, Alltray can be used by launching it from the Applications menu, then clicking on the window of the application you want to park with the cross-hairs – doing so will cause the selected application to be minimized to the tray where it will wait quietly until you bring it to the foreground by selecting it.

One of my favorite aspects of Alltray is that it's exceptionally easy on resources. Any application parked in the tray is ready to be immediately brought to the foreground simply by clicking on its icon in the panel – yet no resources, no CPU cycles, are used to keep it there.

Another way to use Alltray is to add it as an argument to your launch commands.
For example, right-click on the Evolution panel icon, select properties, and precede the Command with "alltray", (alltray evolution).
the next time you launch Evolution, it won't open to the desktop as it usually does, but an icon for it will appear in the tray area, and when you click that icon, Evolution will be brought to the foreground instantaneously. A second click of the icon will return Evolution to the tray until you need it again.

Alltray works with most applications, so if you've got an older, somewhat less endowed machine, treat yourself to a bit of free performance and install Alltray.

Get more details at the Alltray website