1. A system for rendering menus on a screen of a handheld computing device, the system comprising: at least one application switch and at least one navigation switch, the application switch configured to execute a first application in response to being depressed for less than a predetermined time period; an event manager configured to detect depression of the application switch for at least a predetermined time period and configured to generate a switch identifier corresponding to the application switch; a preferences manager configured to receive the switch identifier and, in response, retrieve a plurality of application identifiers corresponding to the application switch, each application identifier linked to an executable for a corresponding application; and a menu engine configured to render to a front of a display on the screen, the menu including each application identifier within a bounded are a, an application executed upon navigation to the corresponding application identifier.