How to assign a keyboard shortcut to an application on Mac OS X?

Question

I want to start an application, e.g. the Google Chrome browser, via a keyboard shortcut. How do I assign a keyboard shortcut to an application?

Additional information

I know there are other ways to launch an application such as

• opening Spotlight via Cmd+Space and typing "Chrome" followed by the enter key or
• installing Quicksilver and use it as the application launcher.

Both are cool ways, but I want it even faster -- just a keyboard shortcut, accessible no matter what application has currently the focus.

What's the easiest way to accomplish that? I tried to fiddle in Preferences > Keyboard & Mouse under Keyboard Shortcuts, but failed.

I found a couple of resources on the web suggesting to create an Apple Script. But I don't know how that would work and I can't imagine that it would be so complicated to achieve such a simple goal.

If you do have QuickSilver loaded, you can create a keyboard trigger that will work anywhere. Create the command in the Trigger panel of the QuickSilver preference screen, then double click the line under the "Trigger" column to set the hotkey.

Note, if you are using Snow Leopard, you'll need the forked version in order to get it to work.

Fastest, easiest, cheapest method:

Open Script editor, Applescript:

tell application "Google Chrome"
    activate
end tell

Save. Use Fastscripts to assign a shortcut. (Fastscripts is free for up to 10 shortcuts)

There are other methods not requiring Fastscripts. On Snow Leopard, you can make a service that runs the applescript, and Services can be assigned keyboard shortcuts in the System Preferences…

You could also use an application like Keyboard Maestro.

Dragthing has been around for years and also can assign keyboard shortcuts to applications, I believe.