iStat menus - A Great System Monitoring Menubar Utility [Mac Freeware]

I like to keep an eye on what is going on with my system at all times. To make this easier I’ve started using iStat menus 1.3, a program that monitors your entire system right from the menubar and features 8 separate and highly configurable menu extras. This way I always know exactly what’s going on inside my Mac.

iStat menus inserts a new pane in the System Preferences Pane Item which allows you configure the program’s eight system monitoring tools:

• CPU: 7 display modes, multiple core support.
• Memory: 4 display modes, page ins/outs and swap usage display.
• Drives: 6 display modes and the ability to hide disks you don’t want to see.
• Network: Current and total bandwidth, peak bandwidth and IP addresses. Also monitors Bluetooth traffic.
• Temps: Monitor the temperature of your Mac with 2 display modes and the ability to hide sensors you don’t want to see.
• Fans & Power: Monitor the fan speeds in your Mac with 2 display modes and the ability to hide sensors you don’t want to see.
• Bluetooth: Control bluetooth status plus monitor the battery level of your Apple wireless keyboard or mouse.
• Date & Time: Date, time, a calendar, and a world clock in your menubar.

You can turn on all of these menus, or you can pick and choose which processes you want to monitor. As you can see below, I’ve chosen to use the Network, Bluetooth, Drives, Memory, Temperature, and CPU displays.

By clicking on any entry you can examine the information in more detail. For example, when clicking on the CPU entry you might see something like this:

iSlayer also makes a Dashboard widget (iStat Pro) that performs many of the same tasks as iStat menus, but I like iStat menus because it is always visible and I don’t have to open any windows or hit any buttons. iStat Menus is easily customizable and you can adjust it to your desired appearance and/or configuration. I prefer the all black option as I like to keep my menubar as low-impact as possible.

Overall, iStat menus is a great way to find out what’s going on behind the scenes with your Mac.