Maintainance

None. My Mac always runs like new and I don't need to do anything.

Well, that's nearly true but not quite. Here's what I do:

• I Use Disk Utility (included in OS X) periodically to repair permissions and verify hard drives (actually SuperDuper repairs permissions for me when it does its scheduled backup);
• Browse my hard drive occasionally for any bits of un-installed or un-wanted programs (although this generally makes no improvement other than freeing up disk space and making the hard drive look tidier). You need to know where to look;
• I use Omni Disk Sweeper to find things to delete when my hard drive gets too full.
• I check the Login Items (System Preferences > Accounts) to make sure there's nothing there that shouldn't be (there ususally isn't);
• I keep abrest of software updates from Apple and for all the applications I use;
• I make sure that guests using the machine can only do so via their own, non-administrator accounts.

There's various system hack utilities around for the Mac (Onyx I think is one), but personally I don't see the point.

Any "free software" that claims to be able to keep "Macs running like new" (or PCs for that matter) is probably a con, malware or both.

SL