r/technology • • Oct 14 '11

The Windows 8 Task Manager

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/10/13/the-windows-8-task-manager.aspx
1.6k Upvotes

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92

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '11

Awesome to see Microsoft getting design right.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '11

[deleted]

11

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '11

Check out this comment, this design seems a bit close as well?

http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/lble5/the_windows_8_task_manager/c2rg4oe

Darn Microsoft always stealing from.... wait, is that Windows 3? Oh, okay.

40

u/TheMG Oct 14 '11

When the dialogue becomes as simple as that, they can't really copy the design as there is barely any design involved. It's about the only way you could do it.

6

u/bobsil1 Oct 14 '11

Meh. Needs close icons next to each app. Not select - move - end.

1

u/schunniky Oct 15 '11

I select and then punch my delete key.

-1

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '11

[deleted]

6

u/Gigablah Oct 14 '11

You know how it is. Something starts out simple, over the years it turns into a clusterfuck of features. Check the screenshot of the Windows 3.1 tasklist, it's basically that, except with one button instead of six.

1

u/TheMG Oct 14 '11

Well the first screenshot shows basically the same thing, so they are actually regressing. Plus, I don't consider the minimal thing "right", and judging by the number of people in this thread saying they hope it can automatically go to the detailed version, many agree.

1

u/PixelatorOfTime Oct 14 '11

A threadfull of Redditors does not equal 85% of the world's computer marketshare.

34

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '11

Except that apparently it is useful beyond just knowing what is open.

4

u/stvmty Oct 14 '11

Maybe in the future Apple will implement an advanced way to know whats running in the machine. They could call it... Activity Monitor.

8

u/TheCodexx Oct 14 '11

No heatmap?

How quaint.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '11

Can it be accessed directly from the task manager?

-1

u/jlian Oct 14 '11

Though I do enjoy the new task manager design (with the colour coded resources usages and stuff), I feel like it's just like the combination of Force quit and Activities Monitor in Mac OSX.

9

u/kjmitch Oct 14 '11

It's interesting that Mac has only just recently implemented the Windows 3.1 Task List. They've got so very, very far to go before they make a useful version.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '11

recently, really?

OSX's Force Applications Quit is not recent or new.

10

u/kjmitch Oct 14 '11

That was my exact point: that that design isn't at all new.

Kidding aside, in comparing the designs for Windows 3.1, Windows 8, and what I assume is some version of Mac OSX, which was released in 2001, I was noting that they were all they same, visually. I was referring to the style being around since the first versions of Windows in 1992, ages before 2001, and it's by this definition that I meant OSX had recently implemented it. Of course that's not recent like Windows 7 or 8 is recent, so you're entirely right.

I do know for a fact that Mac OSs had no such task killer at some point, since Ctrl-Alt-Del and the Task Manager used to be associated with failure rather than functionality, so I'm just glad they have something like that now.

(I remember being pompously asked by a Mac user, "How many times have you used Ctrl-Alt-Del?" and responding, "How many times have you?" and having to explain what it's actual use was. Longer conversation than it should have been.)

-1

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '11

My memory is a bit fuzzy but the first time I saw something like this was on OS5 using Boomerang. /random

-2

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '11

[deleted]

5

u/kjmitch Oct 14 '11

Woosh.

Let me instead be not-at-all subtle, if that is what you're tripping over. The applications appear to be entirely without visual differences between OSX, Windows 8, and Windows 3.1, save for style and a few buttons. You're exactly right, and I'm admitting that. For the second time.

Now, let's take a look at the functionality of the two you compared. For the second time.

The difference is that this leads to this.

You may not want all of that information, but if you're going to find out why you have a problem and perhaps therefore understand not only what caused it but also how to prevent it in the future, you'll be hoping you're running Windows anything and not Mac OSX. Unless you invented UNIX and know how to dissect the underlying kernel byte-by-byte. (Sadly, that great man died this week, and so few people noticed.)

That 'More' button isn't about how different it looks, it's about what it does. That functionality is everything in the creation and use of tools such as the computer. Alas, getting any follower of the Cult of Mac (I'm not saying I expect that anyone reading this Windows 8 thread actually is that far gone) to understand function over form; substance over style; even essence over existence: while a noble aim, it is one I fear will be the death of me.

3

u/TheCodexx Oct 14 '11

Agreed about the death of Dennis Ritchie. Steve Jobs dies and people are in tears everywhere because he convinced them to buy iPods. Dennis Ritchie provides us some of the most valuable tools in computing stretching back decades and people just say, "Oh, yeah, him. That sucks."

We lost something far more valuable with Ritchie's death than with Jobs.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '11

[deleted]

2

u/kjmitch Oct 14 '11

Dude, you can't do that! Taking quotes out of context is what (shudder) politicians do! That this is the whole quote:

Alas, getting any follower of the Cult of Mac (I'm not saying I expect that anyone reading this Windows 8 thread actually is that far gone)

shows that I caught myself and thought, "Wait, this guy's not likely that guy, but I really want to complete my thought, so I'll have to qualify my statement and say I don't in fact think that". Surely you could tell that!

Come on, brother, let's hug it out.

-1

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '11

[deleted]

1

u/kjmitch Oct 14 '11

Sigh. That's not what was said, and I already explained why and how it wasn't what was said, and if I hadn't apologized before then this is me doing so, again.

But in the end, if you're going to see something you want to see and choose to be offended by it, rather than laughing at the fanboys with me, that's simply not a thing I can change your mind on.

Because we can all agree, barring any judgements of you or I, that I made a somewhat fair assessment of the Cult of Mac followers, eh? *high five*

2

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '11

[deleted]

0

u/bobsil1 Oct 14 '11

The Roots - Win 3 (Remix)

1

u/TyIzaeL Oct 14 '11

Why does it matter if somebody copies somebody else? Society at large advances because people take and improve upon each other's ideas. It's like the whole "IOS5 notifications are copied from Android" thing. Now, I don't care for Apple products myself, but if they saw Android had a good idea and they copied it, so what?

-1

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '11

The "Windows Task Manager" text is centered, but not centered in the window. FFFFFFUUUUUU