Taskbar Executive (free) 1.20

Transform your taskbar into a useful area of your screen. Introducing the concept of program-groups, multiple running programs will show up under a single group-button on the taskbar, thus cleaning it up immensely. From these buttons you can then launch programs and manipulate multiple windows. As well as total control over what programs are to show up under each group, you also control their appearance. Four useful plugins are also included of which one is a cool email checker that notifies you of new mail right on the taskbar. Requires Win98 or Win2000. (This version is ad-supported but theres also a trial-version available.)