If you're having problems with your Mac then it's worth checking whether certain components - such as hard drive and processor - are working properly.
The question is, how do you do this? The answer is something like iStat pro which is a comprehensive performance monitoring widget for Mac that consists of 9 separate components which can be minimized, expanded or closed. iStat Pro can monitor CPU, memory, hard drives, IP and external IP's, bandwidths, CPU temperature, battery, uptime, temperatures and fans. In addition to all this, there's a built in update checker which checks for new versions of each component.
One of the best things about iStat Pro is it's flexibility. You can drag around and re-shape components as you like and there's also 9 different skins to choose from. You can also be selective in what it monitors - so if yo don't want it to monitor external disks or network interfaces, you can just deactivate them at the flip of a button. Probably the only drawback of iStat Pro is the speed at which it loads onto the dashboard which can be rather sluggish.
Instant access to your Mac's performance has never been easier with iStat Pro - a great widget that every vigilant Mac owner should own.