14 DAY TRIAL // Computer statistics are just plain useful. While things like CPU, memory and hard drive load may not be that important, network traffic is something that I generally always keep an eye on, to see how well downloads are going, why pages load slowly and if the lag-spikes are universal or just in that one application. Fortunately, when it comes to monitoring applications there are many variations and you can always find something that suits you best. Of all those programs out there, one stands out above all others when it comes to choice, iStat. From application, to widgets and now to menubar items, iStat lets you see what you want, where you want it.
What it does The latest addition to the iStat family is Menus, a preference pane that lets you display all the information about your computer in tiny, accessible menubar items. Seriously giving MenuMeters a run for its money, this little gem looks good, works well and is highly customizable.
Working with it The first pleasant surprise I had after installing iStat Menus was that my menubar was unchanged. Usually this sort of program goes all out and activates everything from the get go, giving you lots of new items regardless of whether you want them or not. iStat Menus plays it discreetly and lets you activate what you want, when you want it.
You can turn on menubar items for the various monitoring tools, which include: a CPU usage monitor with 7 display modes and multiple core support; a memory usage monitor with 4 display modes, page ins/outs and swap usage display; disk usage and activity monitor with 6 display modes, the ability to hide disks you don't want to see; a network monitor with current and total bandwidth, peak bandwidth, IP addresses and ability to hide interfaces you don't want to see; temperature and fan speed monitors with 2 display modes, ability to hide sensors you don't want to see; Bluetooth monitor that lets you control Bluetooth status as well as keep an eye on the battery level of your Apple wireless keyboard or mouse; and last but not least, a calendar and world clock that lets you see the time in multiple locations around the world. All in all this is pretty much standard, giving you exactly what you would expect form such an application. The only thing that stands out is the Bluetooth monitor as well as the date & time one, which is simply great.
Customization Like other such programs, customization in iStat Menus deals mostly with the little icons that you get in the menubar. You can choose from quite a number of display methods, either text based, graph based, or a mixture of the two. You can make the little menubar displays quite big should you wish it (up to 120 pixels wide), but you can also keep them small. The menus themselves are less customizable and you can't really change the way they look. The only thing you can do is exclude various elements from the display altogether. The 'skins' that come with the program are pretty good, but if you don't happen to like any of the colors that are provided you are a bit out of luck. Seriously, those 'skins' are nothing more than a color, why don't they just let the user choose what RGB they like?
The one notable exception is the date & time monitor. While this may seem redundant since OS X already has a date & time menubar item by default, this one has several improvements. Firstly, it will show you a calendar view of the month you are in within the menu. Secondly, you can set up multiple clocks, for various time zones and see them all at the same time. Elegant and functional, this is one of the best multiple time zone clock solutions that I have ever seen. This alone is worth the download.
Real Menubar Items Many such programs add functionality to the menubar through various items that are not true menubar items. Although both approaches work and to the majority of users the difference between the two is unknown, real menubar items have the advantage of being more flexible. You can hold Command and drag them to reorder any which way you like and you can also hold Command and drag them out of the menubar to temporarily disable them should you want it.
This may not seem like a big deal, but being able to place things like the calendar and time monitor next to the clock and temporarily disable any monitor that is bothering or distracting you, makes a big difference.
The Good Flexible and functional, with real menubar items and great default look. It has one of the best multiple time zone clocks out there.
The Bad The skins are nothing more than a color, but the default has a very limited selection and the program won't let you choose your own one.
The Truth iStat is giving MenuMeters a run for their money with this one. If you are already a user of the latter, iStat Menus won't offer you much incentive to give up what you already know and use. But if you don't already have menu items to keep tabs on your computer, this might be worth looking at.
Here are some screenshots, click to enlarge:
