GREEKTRANSCODER.ORG  The two Ergonis utilities that I use daily are PopChar and Typinator, which are simply great.

I got KeyCue as part of the macility bundle. I wouldn't have purchased it separately (so I removed a star from the value line), but as an addition to the other two applications in that bundle, it's a great value.

I'd like to be able to set a longer delay before the program activates, or choose a different key combination, but all in all it works very well.  
(Version 3.0)

GREEKTRANSCODER.ORG  I have used text expanding utilities for years. TypeIt4Me under Mac OS Classic, SpellCatcher 8 and X, iType, the free Text Expander etc.

Version 1.0 of Typinator lacked one essential feature for a bi(or multi-)lingual user: support for several abbreviation files, glossaries, autocorrect files etc. (TextExpander is much too limited in that regard: if you only type in English, it's OK I guess, but as soon as one must manage several languages, it falls short).

Typinator 2 offers such support and works very well.

The fact that it's a full-fledged application offers a very good UI to manage abbreviations (prefpanes such as TypeIt4Me are constrained by the System Preferences window).

The only problem with that approach is that it's much too easy to accidentally quit the application. Which is why I've only given it 4 stars for ease-of-use (that and the fact that most multi-cilpboard applications are not fully compatible with the program and fill their stacks with abbreviations; but then again those programs are just as much to blame for the issue and do not work any better with most other text expanding utilities: finding a working combination is time-consuming and frustrating -- those developers should get in touch with one another and make sure their programs work well together).

However, Ergonis is working on those issues. The first one even has a workaround, as discussed in the product's FAQ:

http://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/TypinatorWithoutDockIcon.pdf

The program is extremely stable and reliable (I've had a lot of stability issues with SCX for instance because of the way it interracts with the keyboard menu, and a few with TypeIt4Me).

In a nutshell, Typinator 2 is the best text expanding utility I've used so far.

And as part of the Macility bundle it's also quite cheap (PopChar X and KeyCue are very useful utilities too).

Highly recommended.  
(Version 2.0)

GREEKTRANSCODER.ORG  I've been using PopChar for years, starting with System 7 back in the early 90's (I then registered the Pro version and then the X version).

The latest incarnation of the program works very well and has been a great help to me when I was working on transcoders to convert texts written using older ASCII fonts to Unicode.

As for Mac OS X providing a Character Palette, it's true, but it's harder to use than PopChar X, it takes much more screen real estate when enlarged enough to be useful and it doesn't offer access to Unicode blocks in a straightforward way (it's much harder to get the to the codepoint: the UI gets very complicated when one asks the Character Palette for "Code Tables").

I also use UnicodeChecker, which is a great tool, but not as convenient as PopChar for instant use.

I agree that the brushed metal interface is annoying. I hope that with Leopard will come an update that will do away with it.

However, all in all, it's a great utility, it has never crashed on me. And as part of the Macility Bundle it's quite cheap too (Typinator and KeyCue are great addtions to one's arsenal: the bundle is a great value).

Highly recommended.  
(Version 3.2)