Abstract: A task manager for a computing device which provides a user interface to the currently running tasks on the computing device. The user interface comprises a representation for each task which is a reduced size version of the display which would be visible to the user if that task were in the foreground. Preferably, the task manager sets out the representations so that no more than a maximum number of representations is visible at one time.

Abstract: A notification manager for a computing device which has a display which designates a notification display area for simultaneously displaying a plurality of notifications when said notification manager is in a foreground mode, said notification display area being hidden when said notification manager is in a background mode, wherein a temporary notification is displayed when said notification manger is in said background mode, said temporary notification being displayed on a portion of a display not reserved for the display of notifications. The notifications in the notification area may be arranged according to an order in which they are generated. In an embodiment, notifications having an associated application are displayed in the notification display area and other notifications are displayed in a second area.

Abstract: A user interface for simultaneously representing tasks and notifications in a computing device. The user interface presents the tasks as reduced size representations of the output of the corresponding tasks which are continually updated. The user interface allows a user to bring a selected task to the foreground or to close the task, both by interacting with the representations of the tasks. The user interface further associates notifications with corresponding tasks by superimposing an icon of the notification on the representation of the corresponding task. The user interface orders and arranges the task representations and icons of the notifications according to certain layout rules.