Smart Start

Windows Vista's Start menu is highly configurable and gives a great deal of control over what appears in it

Right-click on the Start orb, select Properties and then click on the Customize button. Working through the list of options that is displayed, it is possible to add extra links, remove items you feel you don't need and choose between displaying items such as the Control Panel entry as a link or a menu. You can also choose how many recent programs should be displayed in the lower portion of the menu.