[terinjokes]

Actually, I read the patent differently. They seem to be claiming that a series of prompts is slow to the user, and that they've invented a more efficient and faster system.

1) Non-GUI applications (or applications without a window) should be terminated automatically 2) Applications with a top window can veto, but when they do the other applications are removed from the screen, so that the user can focus on the application veto-ing. 3) Users can be presented with a "Shut Down Now" button, to force the shutdown, ignoring any application vetoes.

Also, remember the description is not part of the patent, only the claims section is. As far as I see, the claims are OS-agnostic.

[ithkuil]

I don't see that differently from what other graphical OS do; of course there are minor differences but both macosx and gnome (didn't check other linux GUIs) have something similar.

I'm not saying that they didn't copy it from windows, but I think the features were there before microsoft filed this patent (2005).