ShutOff 2000

It's not going to knock your socks off, but ShutOff 2000 effectively performs shutdown operations and shaves at least one click off the standard method. Its plain tabbed interface shouldn't present any problems, and mostly requires you to check a box or use a pull-down menu to configure or use it. It offers the standard array of shutdown operations, including Shut Down, Reboot, and Log Off, with a few general settings to minimize the program to the system tray or force-close open applications when an action occurs. While you can choose any action and hit the Execute button from the main interface, this doesn't save time over using the Start menu. The faster method is to initiate it through the context menu from the program's system-tray icon. ShutOff 2000 also has a Timer feature, which is disabled during trial, but it's pretty rudimentary. It only lets you create a single countdown timer for a specific day and not a recurring schedule. Also, the program won't execute the action if it's not running or minimized to the system tray. Ease of use is ShutOff 2000's biggest asset, but its limited features won't impress the intermediate or advanced user.