Use Vista’s Task Manager As A Desktop Monitor

The Tech-Recipes blog points out a Windows Vista feature that’s great for anyone who wants to monitor how they’re computer’s running at a glance without installing a dedicated background app. Launch the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), choose a panel like Performance or Networking, and double-click anywhere inside the window’s blank space. You get a not-easily-closed, always-on-top widget you can keep anywhere on the desktop for a quick read on how your desktop is holding up, and it’s a good deal more informative than Task Manager’s system tray icon. Double-click inside the gadget to restore that standard task manager.