1. A system for proactively automating an operation of a general purpose computer having a central processing unit (CPU), a display device, an input device and memory with application programs and routines by automatically intervening in a user's manipulations of the input device to present automating features, the system comprising: an input monitoring means coupled to the CPU and the input device for continuously detecting and recording the user's manipulations of the input device to achieve a desired result; a context monitoring means coupled to the CPU for continuously detecting and recording a state of an application program during the user's manipulation of the input device; a plurality of feature templates, each feature template including input information representing manipulations of the input device and a state of the application, program for identifying the desired result; wherein said memory further comprises feature presentation routines corresponding to each feature template, for controlling the CPU to display automating features on the display device that achieve a result having greater generality or persistence than the identified desired result.