The Windows 7 taskbar is one of the most fundamental changes from Windows Vista. The Windows 7 taskbar -- that strip across the bottom of the desktop screen with all the icons and other stuff -- is an important tool to understand; knowing how to use it will help you get the most out of Windows 7. Here's what you need to know.
What is the Taskbar? The Windows 7 Taskbar is essentially a shortcut to frequently-used programs, and a navigation aide to your desktop. On the left side of the Taskbar is the Start button, which is similar to the button in all Windows operating systems (OS) going back to Windows 95: it has links and menus to everything else on your computer.
To the right of the Start button is space for icons you can "pin", for easy access to frequently-used programs. To learn how to pin, go through this step-by-step tutorial on pinning.
But that's not all you can do with those program shortcuts; we're going to dig a little deeper here. First, notice from the image above that three of the icons have a box around them, while the two on the right do not. The box means that those programs are active; that is, they are currently open on your desktop. An icon without a box means that program hasn't been opened yet; it's available with a single left-click, however.
Those icons are simple to move around; just left-click on the icon, keep holding the mouse button down, move the icon to where you want it, and release.
In addition, each of these programs, whether open or not, has a "Jump List" available. Click on the link for more information about Jump Lists and how to use them.