If you leave your computer running on a 24/7 basis you might be interested in determining the amount of uptime that has accumulated since the last reboot.
Windows 7 have a nifty feature which combines the windows of opened applications under the same taskbar button. If you don't like it you can always turn it off.
If you are tired of waiting for your Windows 7 computer to shutdown or restart, you can create a new shortcut that will speed up the process considerably.