Task Manager

With the introduction of Windows 11, Microsoft seems to be committed to modernizing many of the core components that were left unchanged from older versions of their flagship operating system.

Those who tried out the Insider Builds may be familiar with the Task Manager’s newest update that follows the latest iteration of the Fluent Design language, ditching the horizontal tab bar in favor of a vertically stacked sidebar. As such, if you feel that this redesign may impact your workflow, an accessible alternative known as Zach Inc.’s Task Manager may be the right solution for your needs.

Once installed, starting up the program greets users to a straightforward interface featuring a tabular layout that displays the running applications’ type and status, which can come in handy when troubleshooting the cause behind an unresponsive app. Users can also monitor each process’ memory usage to find out which service tends to overload the system and terminate it when necessary.

Certain laptop manufacturers tend to incorporate various accessibility features that make the usage experience better for those with lower visual acuity, such as pop-up notifications for toggling the Scroll Lock and Caps Lock keys. However, if the functions cannot be easily turned off from a dedicated interface, the Task Manager lets you view an app’s process ID to search for its service and prevent it from starting up automatically or disabling it altogether if required.

One of the first actions many users take after assembling a new computer is the benchmarking process for ensuring a balance between maximum performance and visual fidelity while playing video games or running intensive professional video editors, which is why the program provides you with useful live graphical statistics regarding CPU, RAM and disk usage across a one-minute time-frame.

If Windows’ soon-to-be implemented design overhaul of the quintessential Task Manager feels difficult to get used to, then Zach Inc.’s Task Manager may be a good alternative for lighter usage patterns considering its familiar interface, intuitive layout and built-in performance-tracking capabilities.