Latest iMacs have between 320 GIGAbytes and 1 TERAbyte of hard disk space. MacBook starts at 160 GIGAbytes. So you might save 200 MEGAbytes - Yay! That's between 1/5000th and 1/800th of your hard drive! There's also a risk that you might removal something useful or even necessary.

Also, you don't need to repair permissions on a regular basis. They don't rust. Do it if you have a problem, but that's it.

Where are you getting 200 MB from?

Looking at iTunes 8.1.1 alone, i stripped out everything except English and Swedish: iTunes.app before = 122 MB... iTunes.app after = 55 MB. So that's 67 MB saved on iTunes.app *alone* (plus, i kept a second language). Someone stripping all non-English from the entire HD stands to recover somewhere between 500 megs and a full gig i'd wager.

But consider backups too. Time Machine is dutifully preserving past versions (iTunes 7.0, iTunes 7.0.2, iTunes 7.1, iTunes 7.1.2, iTunes 8.0, iTunes 8.0.1, iTunes 8.1, etc.) So get out your calculator and start multiplying... because you're backing up a ton of useless $#!+.

And also consider: it's not just "size" that matters... there's also all the extra files that the disk directory needs to account for. How many tens of thousands (if not almost a hundred thousand) extra files must be continuously catalogued and kept track of? For what?

Maybe it's no big deal... but i wouldn't berate anyone who says dumping useless localizations can improve performance. (Certainly backup times can be reduced, simply by virtue of backing up less useless $#!+).

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<rant> Installer.app (and Pacifist) should have options in their prefs whereby we users can predetermine which localizations we want written to disk. </rant>

For some perspective, my MacBook Pro came with 10.4, but I've upgraded it to 10.5, so it's got an older version of the paid iLife applications. Note, too, that I deleted GarageBand and all its ancillary files. I have, though, stripped out all non-English languages. My /Applications, /Library and /System folder are less than 10 GB when only adding up the Apple files. I could get that down to about 7 GB and 200,000 total files if I deleted all the print drivers I don't use. Both the number of files and disk space saved is significant.

Is there a system performance gain? I have no idea because I strip the system of languages and extra files immediately (speech voices, Apple desktop pictures, screen savers, etc.), so I don't have a baseline for reference.

Hal Itosis: If the rumors are true, 10.6 will provide greater control of the installed languages. It never made sense to me that the OS installer lets the user choose the installed languages but Apple updates don't have this option.

From the previous poster whom I quoted. I doubt they meant 200 Gb of saving.

I agree that Apple ought to make getting rid of non-used localizations easier. The first thing I do with a new install is remove all the non-Roman typefaces. Probably doesn't save much disk space, but does make the font menu a little cleaner.

I have heard some horror stories with some of the software that removes localization removing other stuff as well - so I'm reluctant to do it until I'm down to my last few gigs.

What's the best way to improve ox x 10.5 performance?

Unless one has a MacPro and can RAID 0 a couple of 10,000 RPM drives or install a series of SSD drives and RAID 0 those, cloning the OS from a single drive/SSD, plus pump up the RAM and install a fast video card, the ability to substantially (or really noticeably) increase a Mac's performance is minimal.

It's mostly all in the speed of accessing data on the hard drive that makes a huge appearance in OS X speed, and for any OS for that matter.

(There is a YouTube video with 64 SSD RAID 0 on Windows, incredible speed)

A few tweaks here and there can be done, but nothing really noticeable. (Keep your hard drive below 50%, max the RAM, buy the better machine to begin with)

So with most Macs, what you see is what you get.

It's wise to buy the higher end machines (MacBook Pro/Mac Pro) if you plan on keeping the computer for 4 years or longer. These (in my opinion) seem to uphold their performance "feel" longer without a noticeable drag like seen on the lower end models (MacBook, Mac Mini, iMac).

However there are bigger iMacs now that may still have the "build to order" online option of getting a faster video card. I highly recommend it if you plan on keeping the machine for four years or more.

Naturally the longer one keeps their machine, the lower it's annual cost to own is.

OS speed tweaks are minimal, I believe Apple limits the redraw speed as give a consistent appearance and to show off eye candy, instead of snapping everything on screen like I know they can based upon earlier OS versions (OS 9) I've used.

As far as I know there are no methods, like on Windows, to decrease the OS X quality to improve the redraw speed.

There is a speed tweak for Safari, using Safari Speed will eliminate the one second delay for page redraws and other things to improve it's speed a bit.

Apple makes it's OS to appear drool worthy, compared to the dull, often jagged, unpolished Windows appearance. It's what sells computers, OS X.