Windows 8: Task Manager

The Windows 8 Task Manager is a dream!  The amount of information it puts at your disposal is impressive. Here are some screenshots from my machine:

Processes:  Here, in one nice, consolidated view, you can see the active processes and how those processes are impacting your computer's performance.  The right-click context menu for an App will allow you to 1) Expand/Collapse the details of the app (for example, the tabs within a browser session); 2) End the task; 3) View the Resource values; 4) Debug the app, if you have a debugger; 5) Create a dump file of the App's current state; 6) Go to details of the App, which will take you to the App's process within the Details tab; 7) Open the file location; 8) Search online for details of the App; and 9) View properties of the Executable file.

Performance:  Here, you get a very useful system-level view of your computer.

App History:  This view provides you with historical details about a processes' usage. The right-click context menu will allow you to Switch to that application.

Startup:  A view to quickly learn what programs will be executed at startup. The right-click context menu will allow you to easily 1) Disable the program; 2) Open the program's file location; 3) Search online for details of the program; and 4) get Properties of the program.

Users:  Provides usage details on a user-by-user basis.  The right-click context menu will allow you to 1) Expand, so that you can see the Task Manager Details tab for that user; 2) Disconnect the user; and 3) Manage user accounts.

Details:  A view that is similar to previous versions of Task Manager. The major difference is the contents of the right-click context menu.  The right-click context menu will allow you to 1) End the task; 2) End the process tree; 3) Set priority; 4) Set affinity, for multi-processor and multi-core systems; 5) Analyse the wait chain, which will help you to determine what process tree may be causing a given program to be in a wait state; 6) Debug the program, if you have a debugger installed; 7) UAC virtualization, allowing standard users to update a system protected area; 8) Create a dump file; 9) Open the file's location; 10) Search online for details about the program; 11) View properties of the program; and 12) Go to the Services tab and, if the program is a service, go to the service's process.

Services:  A useful, quick view of the Windows Services that are running. Note the "Open Services" link at the bottom. The right-click context menu allows you to 1) Start the service; 2) Stop the service; 3) Restart the service; 4) Open the Services  Administrative Tool; 5) Search online for details of the program; and 6) Go to the Details tab to view details of the process.