New Taskbar...I just don't get it

Maybe I can get some help. I am really trying to learn the new OS approach. I kept fighting Vista, but decided to accept 7. But...I don't get the taskbar.

- After pinning an application to the taskbar, it's position is not fixed. It can float around as I am opening and closing windows. One time it is on the left, one time on the right. I just don't understand how this is better than the old quick launch approach where the application was always in one location.
For example, I want to open a new instance of an application. I have to first find it along the toolbar, then right click, then say "open". Before, I would just click the darn icon (knowing exactly where it is), and then be done.

- Does it ever misinterpret the intent? For example, I had a firefox download window open, but the program itself was closed. Forgetting that this was the case, I clicked the icon and I get the dl manager instead of the program itself. I then had to go through the whole right click open process. Normally, I would just have clicked the quick launch to open another instance and be on my way. While this may not seem like a big deal to some, its a pain for me to right click on my virtual trackpad since I have to look at it (iphone running air mouse on my HTPC).

I keep hearing that this new scheme is supposed to replace the quick launch bar and I am keeping an open mind, but are there some instances where it just makes sense to have the quick launch bar? I certainly don't seem to be more efficient with this new scheme, but would like some insight as to what I am doing wrong or where my thought process may be breaking down.

Right-click the taskbar and select lock. Then right-click the taskbar and choose properties. Choose your options. Right-clicking the taskbar activates jump lists.

I didn't like it, or get it, when using RC.

But now that I have used it quite extensively in daily use, with a locked Taskbar set to how I want (small icons, pinned Word and Excel and Outlook icons) it's dead set easy.

Icons that are representing programs that are open are slightly glowing. Icon for IE has a slight 'tabbed' effect showing how many TABS are open. If a download is in process, the IE icon glows green as a representative status bar - it moves l-r the furher the download is processing.

Right-clicking on Word icon for example brings up the Jump List ( I really appreciate this - saves going through Start/Documents/Recent).

Hovering over any icon instantly shows (via Aero peek - is that what it's called?) any items that are opened in the background by that icon's program.

I recommend you whack a Firefox icon in the Taskbar, and lock it down. Not using Firefox I am not sure, but this would then possibly show (when hovering over the Firefox icon) via Aero peek, the Download Manager's open dialog box?

Rgds
Rod

When I pin applications to the taskbar, they don't move around. They are always right where I left them. So, for example, firefox is always the 4th icon from the left and calculator is the 6th. This is important to me as I use the Winkey # to launch apps... And I don't have my taskbar locked.

also holding down shift plus clicking that firefox icon will mean it opens up a new instance of firefox, regardless of whether that download box is still open. shift+click has become my friend. I don't like jump lists for everything, certainly not for mundane things like opening a second instance of a program.... this is the easy fix....

besides.... if you really want it, the quick launch bar is still there.... go look in the tutorial section....

Better than Vista's anyway. Seems cleaner somehow.

I don't understand the OPs icons moving around. Mine don't do that...they are right where I put them. The only caveat to that is certain applications that don't seem to understand the new task bar (like Thunderbird Portable) will create an additional icon at the far right of the others when they are running.