An update to the Task Manager in Windows 8 is intended to provide users with a quick way to kill non-responding apps or processes by simplifying the initial pop-up window, Microsoft revealed recently.
Those who need more indepth information, however, will be able to expand that window for more details, Windows chief Steven Sinofsky wrote in a blog post.
Most people access the tool by hitting "Control+Alt+Delete" and "Start Task Manager" after an app or program seizes up. "Looking at the data and talking with customers, we determined that the most common usage of the tool was to simply end or 'kill' an application or a process," Sinofsky said.
Over the years, the look of the Task Manager has evolved (see the blog post), with the Windows 7 version including six tabs: Applications, Processes, Services, Performance, Networking, and Users. Microsoft found that most users focused on the first two tabs. Those who opted for Processes were usually looking "for something that was not on the applications list (e.g. a background or system process), or to see which processes were using the most resources." By and large, however, users accessed the feature to stop a non-responsive app.
As a result, the Windows 8 Task Manager "removed everything not focused on the core task of killing apps, which makes the design focused and efficient," Sinofsky said.
The updated window (above) removes the tabs "since they distract from the core scenario," Sinofsky said. It now simply lists the open applications, with a "Not Responding" notice to the right of apps that have failed. To shut it down, click the app and the "End Task" button at the bottom.
Microsoft also removed the menu bar from the default view, as well as "things that clutter the experience, such as resource usage stats and technical concepts that most users don't understand." The company also ditched the double prompts ("Are you sure?").
If you do need technical data, the new window includes a "More Details" option, which will expand it to include those stats (click above for larger view). The main difference in this view is a new "heat map" that will show you what apps are consuming the most resources.
"The nice thing about a heat map is that it allows you to monitor anomalies across multiple resources (network, disk, memory, and CPU utilization) all at the same time, without having to sort the data," Sinofsky said. "It also allows you to find the hot spot instantly without needing to read numbers or understand concepts or specific units."
Ultimately, the update will provide users with "a tool that is great at one thing: killing a misbehaving app. And this is perfect for many users who are experiencing the pain of a 'not responding' app that won't go away using the app's Close button," Sinofsky concluded.
For more, see a demo video from the Windows 8 team.
Also check out PCMag's Hands On with Windows 8 Developer Preview and the slideshow below.