What updates thing? And I know each manufacturer ships with their own bloatware, but I haven't really found it fundamentally changes how I use the OS.

LeN, Pocket clips really well. And, hell, it clips. I thought that might be a way to clip web pages in Android.

My Win 7 laptop always has updates for it. Seems everytime I pick up the machine (one a week or so) the Windows notifier is popping up saying "you have updates" and then I do them, and it takes forever, and then it restarts, which takes forever because it's installing new software, and then it is rebooted, it says "oh hey, there is now even more to install" which really annoys me. And the HP "Help Center" with it's floating dock, is the most annoying thing ever. I quit it every time I restart the machine, and for the life of me, can't find where it is installed to auto start on boot. It eats processor, and gets in the way. Hate the damn thing. And it seems Java is always wanting to install an update.

o_a, if your machine is an HP, this is how to turn off the dock: [link]

I have OS X updates much more often than Windows ones. I feel like I'm being asked to reboot more than once a week, and I'm of the never-off school of computing, never mind what battery masters say.

So I just got windows 7 on my work computer. I tried googling but the answers were complicated--how do I get the minimize all/show desktop button back? I figured out there's a right clicky thing I can do for that, but it's not as easy in my brain.

If you are using the Aero theme, there should be a shaded but otherwise blank space on the Taskbar right next to the the time display. Left-clicking on that will bring your desktop to the fore. Left-clicking on it again will bring your previous view back.

Another option is to right-click on the Taskbar, then go to Toolbars and left-click on Desktop. This will put a persistent Desktop label on the Taskbar, and if you click on the double right angle bracket icon on side of it a clickable listing of all your desktop items will appear.

Another option is to right-click on the Taskbar and click "Show the desktop" -- which I gather is the method you are already using, right?

I still prefer keyboard commands for many tasks, myself. To toggle the Desktop view on and off, the keyboard command is Windows+D.

If you are using the Aero theme, there should be a shaded but otherwise blank space on the Taskbar right next to the the time display. Left-clicking on that will bring your desktop to the fore. Left-clicking on it again will bring your previous view back.

I never knew that! Good one.

New to me too. Handy.

Another option is to right-click on the Taskbar and click "Show the desktop" -- which I gather is the method you are already using, right?

Yep, that's what I was using. Thanks!

o_a, if your machine is an HP, this is how to turn off the dock: [link]