We have 4 computers here 3 of which are connected to the net through a 4 port modem. They all get turned off every night and often through the day if no one is going to be home. The excuse that they don't use much power doesn't hold water. Indivdually not much, but collectively (e.g. 1,000 puters left on overnight and not being used) the power waste becomes much more significant.
I can understand where your coming from Re a two page Task manager, sounds pretty close to my step daughters machine
. Why they have to have all these programs running at once I'll never know. Jacqui was on the 4th port of our modem for one month, our monthly usage doubled and we were "shaped" to 64 for the first time ever. She is now back on dial up, permanently.
A good way to speed up your machine is to dump anything connected with Norton. It is a resource hog of the first water, and not as effective as many other internet security programs. I got rid of it after it allowed a virus through on two occasions. Have used AVG+Firewall for over two years now with no problems.
Bill