Enlarge and resize the quicklaunch bar

The default size of the quicklaunch bar in Window XP is quite restrictive. It can only display three icons without forcing you to click on an arrow to extend it. Fortunately, it is easy enough to extend the quicklaunch bar by moving it to another location.
To do this:
Right click on a free area of the taskbar and uncheck the 'lock the taskbar' menu item. Now click on the pattern of dots that appears just to the right of the start button, and drag to move the quick launch bar out of the taskbar.

Drag the quicklaunch bar to one of the edges of the screen and release it so that it forms a bar. Right click the new quicklaunch bar and select 'always on top' and 'auto-hide.' Now you have a convenient quicklaunch bar that hides itself when not needed, and can easily hold all your shortcuts.