general slowdown

I switched just about a year ago to a new 933 maxed out iBook and have been more than happy. Just in the last month or so things seem to just be slowing down a tad. The hd seems to be a tad louder than normal. I have always kept up with the updates and I am using iPhoto, Mail, Safari, iTunes and chatting most of the time. Nothing too demanding.

Are there any general maintenence things I should do to keep things running smoothly? Any utilities that should be run?

repair permissions.