i still have no idea what the focus of this topic is
if we're talking important tools for a portable, i'd say:
-gfxcardstatus: useful for managing dual-gpu systems
-multiclutch: great way to extend and customize multitouch gestures
-teamviewer: free for non commercial use, its a great cross platform remote desktop tool to have if you have family/friends who are always asking for tech support (or if you just want to be able to check back to something on your desktop while you're on the road)
-airport location: if you have multiple places where you often have your notebook (work, home, etc) this utility will detect when you've moved and automatically update a plethora of settings like network location, connected servers, etc.
-synergy: wirlessly share a mouse/keyboard between multiple computers.