'This is probably what Task Manager would look like (and sound like) if I were still around,' says ex-Microsoft dev Dave Plummer about his synthwave-pounding AI dashboard

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In fairness, Plummer admits "it's a good thing I knew to stay in my lane, design-wise."

A screenshot of Dave Plummer's Tempest AI Dashboard
(Image credit: Dave Plummer)

Dave Plummer, the man known for his work with Task Manager and Windows Pinball, has recently taken to Twitter to share what a modern version of his Task Manager would look like, and it's… interesting.

Well, more accurately, he shared the dashboard for his Tempest AI, saying, "This is probably what Task Manager would look like (and sound like) if I were still around. Which is why it's a good thing I knew to stay in my lane, design-wise."

The dashboard in question has a smattering of graphs, two speedometer-style gauges, and an almost Cyberpunk-style theming. It's a bit messy, and perhaps the best/worst part is the music—a pounding synthwave/rave/glitch track.

Tempest is published by Atari, and it launched in 1981. It used the then-budding QuadraScan vector technology and emulated 3D movement, which made it rather difficult.

Plummer said last year, "You might wonder why I chose Tempest for this AI project. It's not because Tempest is an easy game. Far from it. Tempest is a beast to master with fast-paced action and complex patterns. Its spinning 3D playfield and relentless enemies make every second a test of skill and reflexes. But here's the thing. I've been hooked on it for more than 40 years."

He's not lying. Plummer holds a world record for his score in the game. "Most humans are notoriously bad at the game, and it's a tough challenge for an AI to crack, which is precisely why it's perfect for this project", he says.

In fairness, given that the AI is built to play a retro game, the Tempest AI dashboard is fittingly retro—even if I'd never want to use it on my PC.

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James Bentley
James Bentley
Hardware writer

James is a more recent PC gaming convert, often admiring graphics cards, cases, and motherboards from afar. It was not until 2019, after just finishing a degree in law and media, that they decided to throw out the last few years of education, build their PC, and start writing about gaming instead. In that time, he has covered the latest doodads, contraptions, and gismos, and loved every second of it. Hey, it’s better than writing case briefs.

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