Conceivably Tech reports that Microsoft has just been awarded a patent for a faster shutdown procedure. Filed in 2005, the procedure overrides already open applications that may be delaying the shutdown. Users might recall seeing this feature in action in the form of the notification screen that flashes up if you've tried to shut down and other programs or unsaved documents are still open.
The patent abstract reads:
"Aspects include the operating system receiving a command to initiate shut down, and automatically terminating graphical user interface (GUI) applications that delay shut down which do not have top level windows. Also, aspects provide a user, through a graphical user interface, the ability to automatically terminate all running applications in response to determining that a running GUI application has a top level windows."
Do you think Microsoft should have been awarded this patent or do you think this is an example of a flawed patent system? Let us know in the comments below!
