iStat Menus 6 from App store vs directly from Devs.

[Alpha Centauri]

Hi all.

I used to run version 2 or 3 back in the day. 6 has been out for quite a few years so perhaps someone here has personal experience.

Been reading that the AS variant is slightly crippled, fan control and CPU clock speed only on the developers purchased option. There is a vague indication from the AS description that fan control at least, can be added after the fact. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[MuGeN PoWeR]

I am using this and I find it better than iStats Menu

GitHub - exelban/stats: macOS system monitor in your menu bar

macOS system monitor in your menu bar. Contribute to exelban/stats development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I am using this and I find it better than iStats Menu

GitHub - exelban/stats: macOS system monitor in your menu bar

macOS system monitor in your menu bar. Contribute to exelban/stats development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

Thank you for that and the prompt reply. So having used both, could you please expand on why/ what you find better with using Stats? Monitoring GPU/CPU Temps, CPU clock speed would be the main use. All else I can get from Activity Monitor and Coconut battery. But off course, would be nice to have it all collectively in the task bar.

I'm being a bit extra careful as am currently running a stable Catalina patch on an unsupported MBP 5,3 and don't want to break anything.

 

[gilby101]

From the iStat Menus web site, the differences are:

• It currently does not contain weather information.
• It can not control fan speeds.
• It can not show CPU frequency.
• The iStat Menus Helper is needed to view some stats.

Note this not a deliberate crippling, rather it is due to App Store rules not allowing full functionality.

The last two are the key differences for me. If you choose to buy from App Store, you will need to download (from the web site) and install the Helper app if you want all sensor information - and I expect you do.

I have always purchased and downloaded from the web site. But with the helper app, the App Store version is equivalent.

 

[gilby101]

So having used both, could you please expand on why/ what you find better with using Stats?

I have tried both. For me iStat Menus is a) more attractive, b) I can choose what is in the menu bar all the time, with c) detail available with a single click.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

From the iStat Menus web site, the differences are:

• It currently does not contain weather information.
• It can not control fan speeds.
• It can not show CPU frequency.
• The iStat Menus Helper is needed to view some stats.

Note this not a deliberate crippling, rather it is due to App Store rules not allowing full functionality.

The last two are the key differences for me. If you choose to buy from App Store, you will need to download (from the web site) and install the Helper app if you want all sensor information - and I expect you do.

I have always purchased and downloaded from the web site. But with the helper app, the App Store version is equivalent.

Thank you, so I partially understood the vague descriptions from the Store. So the Menus Helper just becomes a temporarily used App to download the remaining functionality or must reside in the App Folder to access those whilst in use?

I'm in the EU so the price becomes vague ordering directly from Bjango as local 19% tax will get added after the exchange rate is sorted. It is however also the preferred route for me. They seem to do an upgrade price from version 3 onward, but cannot find documentation of license activation. From memory it was actually free when I used it..long time ago.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I have tried both. For me iStat Menus is a) more attractive, b) I can choose what is in the menu bar all the time, with c) detail available with a single click.

They seem to have a 14 day trial! This might be the better plan of action if all functionality is available in that period.

 

[gilby101]

So the Menus Helper just becomes a temporarily used App to download the remaining functionality or must reside in the App Folder to access those whilst in use?

No, the "helper" app runs in the background automatically. To read all the sensor data (or to set fans), requires root privileges. Rather than give the whole app root privileges, it is best practice to put the code that requires root privileges into a separate small carefully debugged "helper" app, whilst the main app runs with just user privileges.

The two processes are called iStatMenusDaemon and iStatMenusFans - you can see them in Activity Monitor and they run as root user.

If I remember rightly, the first time you run iStat Menus downloaded from the web site, you are asked to give your administrator password. It then installs the special helper apps to run when you login.

I'm in the EU so the price becomes vague ordering directly from Bjango as local 19% tax will get added after the exchange rate is sorted. It is however also the preferred route for me. They seem to do an upgrade price from version 3 onward, but cannot find documentation of license activation. From memory it was actually free when I used it..long time ago.

Yes, download the whole app from Bjango is my preferred way. The price comparison is complex - 1) exchange rate, 2) 10% tax (GST in Australia - but it already included in the price in this case), 3) when I purchase from Apple I have saved 10% by buying discount Apple Cards. If my calculations are right direct purchase in AU$19.31 (plus a small bank fee), whilst the App Store is AU$14.99 but reduce by 10% Apple Card discount to AU$12.40. So. for me, the App Store would be quite a bit cheaper. But I am not sure what would happen when version 7 is released (hopefully distant future) with no upgrade pricing on App Store. I do have a directly purchased license, bought some time ago (v4?) and upgraded when needed.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

No, the "helper" app runs in the background automatically. To read all the sensor data (or to set fans), requires root privileges. Rather than give the whole app root privileges, it is best practice to put the code that requires root privileges into a separate small carefully debugged "helper" app, whilst the main app runs with just user privileges.

The two processes are called iStatMenusDaemon and iStatMenusFans - you can see them in Activity Monitor and they run as root user.

If I remember rightly, the first time you run iStat Menus downloaded from the web site, you are asked to give your administrator password. It then installs the special helper apps to run when you login.


Yes, download the whole app from Bjango is my preferred way. The price comparison is complex - 1) exchange rate, 2) 10% tax (GST in Australia - but it already included in the price in this case), 3) when I purchase from Apple I have saved 10% by buying discount Apple Cards. If my calculations are right direct purchase in AU$19.31 (plus a small bank fee), whilst the App Store is AU$14.99 but reduce by 10% Apple Card discount to AU$12.40. So. for me, the App Store would be quite a bit cheaper. But I am not sure what would happen when version 7 is released (hopefully distant future) with no upgrade pricing on App Store. I do have a directly purchased license, bought some time ago (v4?) and upgraded when needed.

Ahh.. a fellow Aussie, I lived there 25 yrs but now stuck in DE. Inflation's through the roof here, GST@19%, covid, Ukraine, now Monkeypox...wow.

I thought to contact them via support/ email/ contact form but appears only possible via Twitter. Seriously..Twitter?! Was to see if I'm in their system still but I believe it was when iStatPro was freeware.

App Store- €10, Estimated from Dev direct- €16 (full purchase, not upgrade price).

Given the multitude of options, do you find it's light enough on system resources? I've got fairly old HW.

 

[gilby101]

Given the multitude of options, do you find it's light enough on system resources? I've got fairly old HW.

I have at times tried other system monitoring tools like Stats mentioned in this thread and iStatistica. My experience is that iStats Menus is lighter on system resources than anything else to which it can be compared. Try it on your old hardware.

I thought to contact them via support/ email/ contact form but appears only possible via Twitter. Seriously..Twitter?! Was to see if I'm in their system still but I believe it was when iStatPro was freeware.

Did you find this https://bjango.com/contact/#? Enter your email. And the iStat Menus link takes you to a web form. It would be fair to say that support has always been a bit opaque. But, on the other hand, the quality of the product is very high.

There is still a complete history https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/versionhistory/ I started with version 3 in 2010 for US$16. Back then there was another product just called iStat from a different developer.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I have at times tried other system monitoring tools like Stats mentioned in this thread and iStatistica. My experience is that iStats Menus is lighter on system resources than anything else to which it can be compared. Try it on your old hardware.

Did you find this https://bjango.com/contact/#? Enter your email. And the iStat Menus link takes you to a web form. It would be fair to say that support has always been a bit opaque. But, on the other hand, the quality of the product is very high.

There is still a complete history https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/versionhistory/ I started with version 3 in 2010 for US$16. Back then there was another product just called iStat from a different developer.

Thanks heaps.

Didn't click far enough onto the product symbol for email support..let's see what they say.

Saw the vs history and have a gut feeling it was either v1 with a G5 or v2 with the 2009MBP I'm still using now. Just remember it was quite light on resources and feature back then, was from iSlayer I think. Great to hear that's still the case re resources in the background. Thanks for the feedback and help.

Cheers mate

PS Whilst typing this response I already received an email from them..not bad.
PPS Hoping vs7 won't be released when I hit the buy button.

 

[bsmr]

Does anyone now exactly, what features are missing when 'not' using the helper app? Maybe I can live with it and only use the MAS variant.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Does anyone now exactly, what features are missing when 'not' using the helper app? Maybe I can live with it and only use the MAS variant.

I'm using/ trialing the 2 weeks from the Devs site atm. I believe it's the fan speed control not included in AS but downloadable after from Bjango. Also the AS version won't have CPU clock frequency readings but I'm sure that also can be provided through support, they have been very prompt replying to my emails. Weather, there's a 6 month free trial from the Devs also. Note: for CPU clock speed you get linked to Intel for a download and only their 2nd-10th Gen chips have this support.
The fan speed is brilliant and highly customizable using rules, works great. All in all I'm loving it so far and appears much much lighter on system resources than Activity Monitor even is. After the trial I'll certainly be purchasing rather from them. Registered, the support alone makes things worth it for me.