Multitasking enables a desktop operating system user to perform many activities at once,...

Multitasking enables a desktop operating system user to perform many activities at once, such as running a text editor, using a calculator, and running an address book program, all at the same time. In this project, you take advantage of multitasking using Windows XP/Vista/7.

To explore multitasking in Windows XP/Vista/7:

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, and point to Accessories in Windows XP or click Accessories in Windows Vista/7. (In Windows XP, you may need to point to a down arrow on the Accessories menu to view all of the items.)

2. Record some of the programs and folders or menus of programs that are available from the Accessories menu. For example, in Windows XP if you point to Accessibility (notice the right pointing arrow to show it is a menu), you will see an additional menu of Accessibility programs. In Windows Vista/7, you can click a folder, such as System Tools to view additional programs. You can run any listed program by clicking it.

3. Click Notepad (a text editor) on the Accessories menu.

4. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to or click Accessories, and click Calculator.

5. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to or click Accessories, and click Paint. How many applications (and windows) are now running?

6. Notice that there is a button for each application in the taskbar. Windows XP/Vista/7 is now multitasking. Click the button for Calculator to bring its window to the front of the others.

7. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del. In Windows XP, this action takes you directly to the Windows Task Manager (which is yet another application that is started). In Windows Vista/7, you go to a menu screen that has Start Task Manager as an option. Click Start Task Manager if you are using Windows Vista/7.

8. Ensure that the Applications tab is selected. What information do you see on the Applications tab? Also, notice that in Windows XP, the CPU Usage Meter now appears on the right side of the taskbar in the system tray as one of the icons near the time or in Windows Vista/7, there is a Windows Task Manager button in the taskbar. Also, Windows XP displays a taskbar button for Task Manager, unless you have minimized Task Manager.

9. While you still have Task Manager open, click the Performance tab (see Figure 1-21). This tab displays information about the system resources that are in use, such as the CPU (processor) and memory usage. Close one or two applications and observe the effect on the use of resources. Close Task Manager.

10. Close the remaining open windows.