How to optimize your mac's performance?

Hey there guys, just purchased my first mac book and I love! I guess being a Windows user I had a very limited frame of reference, so when people told me Mac's were better, I'd brush them off. Now that I have actually used one I would have to agree, they are better in so many ways!

I purchased my mac for a couple reasons, but mainly because I've heard great things about macs and photo editing. I've put a copy of adobe photoshop cs3 as well as Office 2008. I have a small collection of albums that I have also put on the computer.

Anyway it seems to already be working a little bit slower than when I first bought it, naturally, but my main concern (if it should be) is that I don't want to experience the sluggishness of my PC. PCs are always much snappier when you first get them, and a year later they are so slow to the point of not working anymore. Maybe I'm worrying about this because I'm so used to Windows?

In any case, what tips do you have for a new mac user that wants to keep his mac at it's optimum level of performance?

Is there any software that you could recommend for defragging or for like cleaning up wasteful junk like from old applications that have been deleted? I know windows keeps traces of everything behind I just want to keep this mac cleaaaaann.

Alrite I am doing a bad job on this post as I am ranting now, so later! thanks in advance!

 

I've got 2gb of ram.