System Preferences is the application used by Mac OS X to modify user preferences. A variety of preference panes for controlling the current user session, networking, hardware and other settings are included with Mac OS X. Additionally, preference panes can be installed by third party installers for hardware devices or system-wide utilities.
System Preferences was introduced in Mac OS X v10.0 it replaces Control Panels found in pre-Mac OS X versions of Mac OS. While system software versions from seven to nine featured Control Panel interfaces as separate application-like processes, OS X's unified system preferences application can be seen as a throwback to the classical scrolling control panel last seen in System 6.
In Mac OS X v10.0 through Mac OS X v10.3, a user could drag their favorite preference panes to a toolbar at the top of the System Preferences window. In Mac OS X v10.4, this was replaced with a Spotlight-style search. Results are indicated by dimming the window as a whole and brightening the preference panes that contain settings that match the user's search, achieving an effect similar to physical spotlights shining on to key items on a dimmed stage.