Dave Plummer, the visionary behind the original Task Manager, has embarked on an intriguing personal project: a dashboard for an AI designed to conquer the classic Atari game, Tempest. Recently, he shared a glimpse of this innovative creation on X, suggesting that this is how the Task Manager might have evolved had he remained at Microsoft. For those curious to explore this concept further, Plummer invites enthusiasts to view the live Tempest AI dashboard and its accompanying code on his GitHub.
Revamping the Task Manager
The reimagined Task Manager boasts a retro-futuristic design, featuring vibrant RGB accents, speedometer-style dials, and an engaging soundtrack that enhances the experience. This aesthetic diverges significantly from the sleek, minimalist look of the Task Manager in Windows 11, appealing to a niche audience that appreciates a touch of nostalgia. While it’s uncertain whether Microsoft would have embraced such a design even if Plummer were still part of the team, the project serves as a delightful “what-if” scenario for Windows aficionados, offering a welcome distraction from recent software glitches.
Users have reported various issues with recent Windows updates, including a malfunctioning Windows Recovery Environment, unintended BitLocker activations, and instances where affected computers fail to boot. In light of these challenges, Plummer’s creative endeavor provides a refreshing perspective on what could have been.
However, it’s important to note that this dashboard is not intended for everyday use as a performance monitor for Windows PCs. When questioned about the dashboard’s resource consumption, Plummer revealed that it utilizes approximately 75% of the GPU at 30 frames per second on his M2 Mac Pro, indicating substantial demands on graphical processing capabilities.
Plummer’s journey with the Task Manager began during his leisure time, and its impressive functionality led to its integration into Windows NT. Many features that users recognize today were first introduced in Windows 2000, and Microsoft has continued to enhance the application through various iterations of the operating system. A notable update occurred in May 2024, when Microsoft transitioned RAM speed measurements from MHz to MT/s, followed by a design overhaul in 2022 that modernized the Task Manager for Windows 11.
