Request for Mac OS X developers: put an alias for Applications in your install image:
In the meantime, something that can make application installing a little faster is to drag the Applications folder into the documents section of the OS X “dock,” so that you end up like this:
Now installing apps is as simple as draging them from the install image onto this icon on the dock.
As I noted on Ruk’s site, this is something I’ve done for so long, I can’t imagine not doing it.