ADWLauncher EX gets an Ice Cream flavored update, 10 Billion App discount

There’s a lot of aftermarket Android launchers out there, but very few can claim to have the kind of following that ADWLauncher EX enjoys. A rock-solid foundation, tons of customization options and a robust theme engine makes it one of the most popular launchers on the Market. Of course, with Ice Cream Sandwich‘s enhanced launcher a lot of the current offerings are looking long in the tooth. To that end, developer Anderweb has released a new version, with a ton of new features to bring it up to date.

Most dramatic is a new dock bar system that apes ICS’ “pinned” apps at the bottom of the screen. Most launchers including ADW have had some variation on this feature before, but new placement and visual options make ADW’s feel fresh. Folders have been given an ICS-flavored upgrade, with more visual settings to tweak. Other small visual and under-the-hood changes are present, including support for hardware acceleration on some devices. Notably it now plays nice with tablets running Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich, allowing for easier integration with the bottom action bar.

But don’t run out and purchase ADW Launcher EX just yet, if you haven’t already: the developer has announced that he’s participating in Google’s 10 Billion Apps promotion, and the full version will be just 10 cents/pence some time in the upcoming week. So if you can wait to try out the new features, you’ll save yourself a coffee’s worth of cash. Download it in the Market – but not right away!