Pat,
Minimizing only gets the open window out of the way. Resources are still being used, especially if that window is a separate program from the other windows. Likewise, bandwidth is used by that minimized window if it happens to be a browser window.
In most cases though, I don't actually "minimize" the window, I simply open another window over the top of the previous one. For example, I normally visit these forums with 3 or 4 windows open. In order to jump to a different screen, I click on the taskbar section where that window is displayed and it will immediately overlap the previous window. There really isn't a difference, unless I actually want to see the desktop. In that case, you'll need to "minimize" all windows to see the desktop....UNLESS you have "Return to desktop" button in the Quicklaunch bar.
Now I'm babbling....
Hope this helps.
Grif
After all these years using computers, you'd think I'd know the answer to this one.
Why do we minimize a window? Does it save resources? I can have 3 windows open and jump from one to the other. Minimizing a window seems to make no difference.
Pat

Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic