OnyX is my favorite among a gaggle of OS X system utilities offering maintenance, optimization and personalization for Mac OS X. I can't say whether OnyX is objectively the best of the bunch, but it has all the features I need and more, it works well, and the price is right -- it's freeware.

One thing that has impressed me about OnyX from the get-go is how professional and polished its user interface is. What I didn't like was that the interface used Apple's to-my-eyes unattractive "brushed metal" theme. It was about as stylish a rendition of brushed metal as I've encountered. Very snazzy and professional for a freeware app. But brushed metal even done extremely well is still unappealing.

Well, now OnyX users have a choice. OnyX is still available in brushed metal, but for folks who share my sense of aesthetics, there is also now a version in Aqua, which is much easier on the eyes, IMHO.

As icing on the proverbial cake, there is also a very attractive optional set of Gold icons that will work with either theme. Nicely done.

Some OnyX fans have objected to the revamped interface configuration in OnyX 1.4.x. I was partial to the old interface myself, but am getting used to the new one, and for Jaguar users, version 1.3.1 is still available with the old interface.

OnyX's main function for me is to run the OS X Repair Permissions and daily, weekly, and monthly cron maintenance scripts, which I nearly always do each time I restart my computer -- about once every week to two weeks. OnyX also makes it possible to configure certain hidden parameters of Finder, Dock, Safari... to remove a certain number of files and repertories that may become cumbersome, preview the different logs and CrashReporter and more.

• Appearance - Allows you to customize scroll bar arrows, label lines, toggle appearance between Aqua and Graphite, show hidden system files, put a Quit Menu Item in the Finder menu, activate application and window zooming, delete certain preferences, and force empty the Trash, with or without destruction.the Dock position, alignment and minimization options, and to activate hidden and system files, transparent icons for hidden applications, animate opening applications put a menu item Quit Finder in the Dock, and relaunch the Dock., Exposé, Safari, and more.

• Maintain - Lets you verify and repair Permissions, run chron system maintenance scripts, optimize the syatem, and update system databases

• Cleaning - Options to dump various caches including browser caches, logs, force empty the Trash. The browsers recognized are: Safari, Shiira, Internet Explorer, Omniweb, Camino (formerly Chimera), Netscape, Mozilla, Firefox (formerly Firebird and Phoenix), Opera, iCab and WamCom.

• Automate - Regroups the main functions of panels 'Maintain' and 'Cleaning,' lets you verify and repair permissions, run chron scripts, optimize the syatem, and dump system caches

• Logs - Displays and can delete CrashReporter, Archived, and System logs selectively

• Man Pages - Mac OS X contains several hundred Unix commands. These commands, accessible by the Terminal, are abundantly documented in the manuals. The 'Man' panel allows you to format and display the manual pages. pages

• Info - Shows information about your computer:

- Its model, its identifier and its code. (if OnyX display 'PC Intel Pentium', you lose.)

- Hardware: Info on the Hardware of your computer (processor, bus, cache and memory).

- Disk: This tab displays information about the startup disk, its name, its capacity, the free space available, space used and the state of journaling. A little button allows you to enable or disable the journaling.

- System: Info on the kernel and the Operating System.

- User: This tab displays misc info about the user (full and short name, name on the network, identifier...).

• Preferences - Configure OnyX interface options

There is also an excellent and comprehensive OnyX Help manual included explaining in detail every OnyX function. One of the best I've encountered in any software, and certainly the best among these utilities.

While there are distinctions and some differences in features and function, for the most part OnyX seems to be pretty much equivalent to the shareware Cocktail and Mac Pilot and others for most users' purposes. Since the latter two are shareware and small downloads, you can try all three easily and decide which you prefer.

OnyX 1.4.5 is Freeware, and works with all Macintosh computers running Mac OS X version 10.3.x (with BSD subsystem). Brushed Metal or Aqua interface themes.

OnyX 1.3.1 is Freeware, and works with all Macintosh computers running Mac OS X version 10.2.x (with BSD subsystem).

For more information, visit:
http://www.titanium.free.fr/english/onyx/index.html