[kranbollin]

For launching applications: Namely
To hide folders on desktop: Camouflage
To create and manage various docks: DragThing
To monitor battery on menu bar: SlimBatteryMonitor
Quick weather information from menu bar: Weather Vane
Switch locations (I take PB G4 between home and office): MarcoPolo
Desktop picture: Downloaded from web and modified using PhotoShop
Apple dock: made as small and inconspicuous and out of the way as possible

[mattbot69]

Launch Applications: I really miss the OS 9 Launcher. I tried using the Dock as a Launcher, but I really hate the dual purpose Launcher/Application Switcher functionality of the Dock. I used DragThing for a while, but it got annoying. Now I have a folder called Launcher that is filled with Subfolders like Apps, Internet, Utilities, etc. Then I put aliases for my apps into those folders. Lastly, put a copy of the Launcher folder in the dock set to "view as list" so I get pop-up menus that lead to my subfolders and apps. This makes the Dock purely an Application Switcher, which works much better for me.

The other thing I do is for some very commonly used apps, I put them in the finder toolbar. The most important ones I have are for Preview and TextWrangler. Just in case I want to open a document with those apps where double-clicking the file won't open the correct program. This way, I can take the document from any finder window, drag to the toolbar and open with the application I want.

[NTropy]

I've seen a lot of customization apps and tricks here, some of which I use but I'd like to take a step further back from them.
File Organization:
From the time of OS X 10.0 I have partitioned my hard drives, first three ways and then two. One was for Classic, one was for OS X and one was (and is) for data files. When the time comes for my MacBook to get a 500 GB drive I'll go back to three for either a Windows partition or a Linux partition to play around with.
I also originally tried to logically (to me at least) assign all my apps to folders instead of lying haphazardly in the Applications folder. I found out through trial and error that OS X was much less forgiving of that than was Classic. Even today I have to manually move iWork apps back to the base folder in order for updates to take. The one use I've found for Spaces is to banish my talk radio browser window to another Space.
Additions:
- QuickAccessCM
- Fruit Menu
- TinkerTool
- Quay
- Synergy
- Ogg plugin for Quicktime
- Growl
- Flip4Mac
- iStat Menus (replaced MenuMeters)
- Perian
- Mouseworks for my four button Turbo Mouse
- Salling Clicker
- Linotype Font Explorer
- Desktop Calendar
- RemoteBuddy
- MenuCalendarClock
- Meteorologist
- Service Scrubber
- Delocalizer
Old style icons from Classic. Of course that means I have to keep them fairly small so avoid pixelation.

[SpiceLMF]

- Quicksilver (what a life saver) plus some choice applescripts for controlling itunes and other apps.

- Hazel - surprised only one other mentioned this, great little app, set up rules to automatically manage files/folders. For instance, rules to move movie files to a To Watch folder, or pictures added to iphoto. My download folder is always well organized because of it. Possibilities are endless really, plus I believe you can add applescripts to your rules.
- Automator & AppleScript for small tasks that I do repeatedly like renaming files and relaunching certain apps (of course scripts are attached to keyboard triggers with QS)
- Spaces set up with 6 spaces, with hot corners setup for switching spaces & expose.
- My desktop & dock are reserved for very few. Desktop has two folders To Read, and To Watch. Hazel moves unwatched videos and pdfs to these folders, then labels them in orange so I know when there's something in there.
- Dropbox/Time Machine for backups/syncing files.
Trying out pathfinder now, it seems pretty cool but not sure if it's worth the price for what I need. Plus my ExpanDrive network drives don't show up in it :/
Also Mac-aroni Podcast suggested Simians on one of their show.. it's a mouse based app-launcher. Seems pretty cool but I'll stick with quicksilver, need my keyboard triggers!

[miguelandres]

*Pathfinder
*few icons permanently on the dock (those that are bound to be permanently open.
*Google Quick Search Box serves for launching
*A few applescripts to simplify my work. Mostly to interoperate mail with numbers.
*Downloads stack.
*Medium sized dock (not too big, not too small so that notifications can't be read)
*Activity monitor is always on with cpu history.
*Dropbox serves for synchronisation needs, often for schoolwork

[SpiceLMF]

Ah I forgot to say Typinator for text expansion (and automatic spelling corrections). I just wish it would work in Parallels

[fibercut]

Well here is my list:

1. iStat menu

2. TextExpander

3. Meteorologist

4. Set Stack Icon (with my /Appications, ~/Documents & ~/Downloads folders Docked)

5. TinkerTool

I guess I am a little bland.

[Eight_Quarter_Bit]

* iGetter for downloads from FF, Opera and Safari (http://www.igetter.net/)
* Using active sceen corners for expose, show desktop, and spaces
* The Betterzip quicklook generator (http://macitbetter.com/BetterZip-Quick-Look-Generator)
* MacFUSE for mounting NTFS drives (read and write), my website via FTP, and iTunes playlists (really handy)

[fateexceeds]

I have a 20" iMac running Leopard. In the Dock, I've added drawer icons from optica optima, and as for the desktop, I use Google's image search to find my own desktop images. I use AppleJack and Cocktail for maintenance, troubleshooting, and setting some hidden preferences. I use Flip4Mac for Windows Media content, and Doug Adams' AppleScripts for setting some hidden preferences in iTunes. I also use Darwine to run a few Windows apps via X11 - namely, TabIt, which I use to compose MIDI drum, bass, and keyboard tracks for use in GarageBand, and ies4osx, which I use for home banking since my Credit Union's account management website does not work correctly when viewed with Safari or Firefox. I haven't used Automator yet, put I plan to try to create a workflow for converting certain MIDI tracks into AIFF files (so that GarageBand will treat them as real instrument tracks).

[d9c9]

I use
Text Expander
Sound Source
MailTags 2
Mail Act On 2
QuickSilver
Fruit Menu
SpamSieve
Dock on Right hand side
Growl
Desktopple although I can't get my desktop back and developers won't help me!
Medialink
Perian and
SuperDuper

[folklore]

I'd never heard of DragThing before seeing the comments in this thread. Or if I had heard of it I'd dismissed it. But with so many people in this thread liking DragThing, I just had to install it.

My immediate reaction was, "Where have you been all my life?" I've had it installed for 20 minutes and already I can tell that I'm not just going to use DragThing, I'm going to use the living hell out of it.

[MmnW]

Quicksilver for App-Launches.
Growl mainly for Mail.
Encrypted dmg for personal and financial documents, everything else in default Folders (default folder icons).
Some Applescripts and some sh scripts.
MacFuse for sshfs.
4 Spaces on MacBook, but none on iMac.
Spotlight as is.

[maddoguk]

Bootcamp & XP

[Ecotrend]

Launchbar and Pathfinder are both invaluable. Launchbar gives me easy access to files, URLs, address book information and so on

Documents, research and all data for major projects are kept together using DevonThink Professional which ? for these projects ? replaces or enhances Spotlight.

Quick notes and clippings are taken using SohoNotes. This is an expensive way of taking notes but in this mode Soho Notes is very fast and effective. Strangely, using the programme in full mode is nowhere near as useful and I bypass this to use Devon Think.

Sound Source is one of my most valuable desktop accessories. I also use Snard for quick access to infrequently used, but key, files.

I don't use automator anymore ? the simple tasks I would have used it for can be effectively done by Launchbar.

I do use Spaces when working on digital images ? Aperture in one window and Photoshop in another. I also regularly use Logic and this has its own dedicated window. I find Spaces very useful on my 13 inch laptop but use it with these application on a Mac Pro with 24 inch monitor. Spaces could be better. I've tried Hyperspaces but think the visual design lets it down.

A new Finder would be my priority, based around PathFinder but implemented with a bit more style. Such as system should also have Soho Notes Quicknote (or something similar) built in.

Chronosynch is used to ensure laptop and desktop work effecively and this program also offer more sophisticated back up for projects than does Time Machine.

Superdooper keeps me with a bootable, external system backup.

Finally, I have lost count of how many times Disk Warrior has saved my skin !!!