In a recent Slashdot thread discussing my review of Mac OS X Power Tools, a reader posed an interesting question: what are your favorite OS X tools? This could be read in a couple of different ways, but in terms of third-party utilities (or software not otherwise preinstalled), here’s a few that aren’t to be missed:

1. Key Xing (shareware, $7) allows you to specify your own keyboard shortcuts for applications, documents, and tasks like copying full file paths for items in Finder windows. Some of their other suggestions: control iTunes volume and track selection without having to bring iTunes to the front; pop up a Google window for searching the web, images, groups, directory, and news; and paste text into other programs. Not bad for seven bucks.

2. CodeTek Virtual Desktop (shareware, $30) is one I found out about in Mac OS X Hacks, and while it’s not the cheapest of the virtual desktop options for OS X, it’s leaps and bounds beyond the handful of free options that are out there. Even the demo is worth a try - it just doesn’t allow you more than two desktops.

3. Metallifizer (freeware) is one I’ve mentioned before. It does only one thing, but does it well: you can use it to strip (or add, if you’re crazy) the brushed metal interface from a Cocoa application of your choice. You can also do this by popping open the relevant plist using devtools, of course, but since Metallifizer is free, you can’t really go wrong by saving yourself the trouble.