XMenu lets you create a custom menu in your menubar to store your favorite files, folders, and applications.

I remember back in the Mac OS 9 days when we could customize our Apple Menu with any folders and files we wanted. Is there any way I can get that functionality back in Mac OS X?

As you know, the Mac OS X Dock has two sides. If your dock is on the bottom of your screen, the left side is used for your favorite applications and any currently running apps. The right side is for minimized windows and for your favorite files and folders. Simply drag your favorite folders and files to the right side of your Dock, and you can have easy access.

If you’re still looking for a customizable menu up in your menubar, try the free utility XMenu (www.devon-technologies.com), which lets you add up to five menus to your menubar that show you the contents of important folders like Home, Applications, and Documents. One of these five menus is completely user-definable, so you can put whatever you’d like in it.

All of XMenu’s menus and submenus display an unlimited number of hierarchies and update themselves automatically. XMenu can also display small or large icons, group your folders together, and follow aliases or symbolic links.