Windows 8 gets a new task manager and USB booting

By Jeffrey Van Camp Published April 18, 2011

Someone (or people) at Microsoft leaked an early build of Windows 8. Now everyone with hacking skillz seems to be digging around in it. Two new rumors have popped up in the past few days. We’ve got details on the new Windows 8 task manager and a new Portable Workspaces feature that lets you backup your version of Windows to a USB drive.

Advanced Task Manager

WinRumors believes that Microsoft is working on a new task manager interface for Windows 8 and has the screenshots to back it up.

windows-8-rumors-advanced-task-manager — Image used with permission by copyright holder

This screenshot is of the Advanced Task Manager, which shows CPU usage, running processes, and other detailed information for users who can understand it. In the lower right of the picture you can see another part of the new task manager that indicates how much memory and power an application or process is using up. This type of information is currently available in Windows 7, but like all task managers since Windows 95, even Windows 7 fails to label all apps and .exe’s properly or explain what they do. Microsoft may be finally attempting to simplify this messy, necessary interface in Windows 8.

windows-8-rumors-touch-task-manager — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The screenshot above, which was posted by a user in the Mydigitallife forum, shows a larger, more touch-friendly interface for the basic task manager. Applications can be killed by simply pressing the X button on the right, while categories can be minimized or maximized by clicking on them with a mouse or, presumably, a touch of the finger.

Recommended Videos

Portable Workspaces

windows-8-rumors-portable-workspace — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Finally, Windows 8 will have a Portable Workspace feature, which lets you install a fully bootable, usable version of Windows onto a 16+ GB USB drive. This feature could help IT folk diagnose problems with PC installations. Ideally, business users could also pop in a USB drive with their setup on it into a client’s computer and safely share sensitive information. Portable Workspaces is currently only in the Enterprise (and probably Ultimate) edition of Windows 8.

Jeffrey Van Camp

Former Deputy Editor

As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…

Topics

Computing

The refurbished MacBook Neo may be your best way around Apple’s price hike

MacBook Neo has hit Apple’s refurbished store after its price increase

Student using MacBook Neo in classroom.

The MacBook Neo launched in March as Apple’s most affordable notebook, but it has already been caught in the company’s recent price hike. The base model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage now costs $699, while the 512GB version with Touch ID is priced at $799.

Just days later, Apple has already listed refurbished MacBook Neo models on its online store, giving buyers a cheaper official option, though the savings are not as generous as you might expect.

Computing

This cross-device clipboard app solves the copy-paste problem I keep running into on my Mac

ClipboardAI keeps a searchable history of everything you copy

Text, Electronics, Mobile Phone

I have lost count of how many times I have copied something important, copied another thing before pasting it, and then realized the first item was gone. It is a small frustration, but it happens often enough to become annoying. I recently came across ClipboardAI, which caught my attention because it goes beyond Apple’s built-in clipboard by saving copied items into a searchable history.

Instead of replacing the last thing you copied every time, ClipboardAI keeps a searchable record of copied text, links, codes, email addresses, phone numbers, addresses, and images across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. That means an older clip does not disappear just because you copied something new.

Computing

If you miss the feel of paper in the digital age, this app gives your Mac’s screen a textured look

A paper-like screen overlay could make long work sessions feel less harsh.

Advertisement, Poster, Electronics

Most screen-comfort tools work by changing color temperature. Apple’s Night Shift makes the screen warmer, often giving everything an orange tint. Paperman is an interesting alternative because it adds a subtle paper-like texture over the display instead.

The app is available for Mac and Windows, and it is designed to make a screen look closer to paper, matte glass, or an e-ink display. It softens the harsh contrast and reduces the glossy look of modern screens during long reading or writing sessions.