If you've been a Windows user as long as I have, I promise you'll hate this--at first. But think about it: Web pages, Word documents, and the like run top-to-bottom, so the more vertical space you can give them, the better.

By relocating the Taskbar to the left side of the screen (or the right, if you prefer), you're freeing up vertical space for stuff you use every day while making smarter use of wasted horizontal space.

Ready to give it a try? The steps are the same in both and :

1. Right-click an empty area of the Taskbar and clear the checkmark next to Lock the Taskbar.

2. Left-click and hold an empty area of the Taskbar, then drag it to the left side of the screen. Once you get close, you'll see it lock in, at which point you can release the mouse button.