# Desktop operating systems and the importance of multitasking

DevFeed: [Desktop operating systems and the importance of multitasking](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/on-desktops-32979.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://reactos.org/blogs/on-desktops/>)

Published: 2013-05-31T00:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Front Page on ReactOS Website](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/front-page-on-reactos-website.md>)

Topics: [systems](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/systems.md>), [Windows](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/windows.md>), [Microsoft](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/microsoft.md>), [Terminal](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/terminal.md>), [browsers](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/browsers.md>)

Tags: [browsers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/browsers.md>), [desktop](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/desktop.md>), [developers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/developers.md>), [free](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/free.md>), [microsoft](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/microsoft.md>), [multitasking](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/multitasking.md>), [open-source](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/open-source.md>), [operating-systems](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/operating-systems.md>), [os](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/os.md>), [react](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/react.md>), [reactos](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/reactos.md>), [terminal](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/terminal.md>), [win32](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/win32.md>), [winapi](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/winapi.md>), [windows](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/windows.md>)

## AI overview

The article argues that desktop operating systems must support extensive multitasking for power users, IT administrators, and developers. It criticizes the constrained, single-window-oriented application model associated with Microsoft's Modern applications and discusses the broader shift toward smartphone and tablet usage patterns.

## Source excerpt

In the recent craze over smartphones, tablets, and what I'll term webbooks (think ChromeOS machines), many companies seem to have forgotten the greatest achievement of modern desktop operating systems, namely the ability to multitask. Smartphone OSes originally either did not have this capability built in or did not expose it to the end user. This was understandable, as smartphones operate under different constraints with respect to power and screen space.