Which, I've noticed, is still how people handle common applications, with "copy it to the taskbar" a close second and the two "pin" options vying for a distant third.
I run Linux, Fedora 22 using the XFCE desktop. My "panel", which I call the "taskbar" is at the bottom, as the Goddess intended. On that taskbar just to the left of the buttons showing my running applications/windows, are 4 quick launch buttons for my most commonly used applications, in the usual place for quick launch buttons. At the far right of the taskbar is the clock, the notification area is to the left of the clock. I use a specific theme for window decorations where the window title bars are blue and the close button is red.
Why yes it DOES resemble WinXP, why do you ask?
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/...
Strangely I was exposed to KDE and FVWM BEFORE I ever used WinXP. And I had used WinNT4 before I used Win95.
Those folks who came up with the CDE that inspired em all knew what they were doing...designing a GUI that WORKED.