Really? Wow. I don't have that problem. I can close my browser and reopen it in just a few seconds.
I get more annoyed by how long my win98 machine sits during boot up doing nothing but the WIN98 splash screen. 30 seconds exactly. No hard drive light, no cd or floppy lights, nothing. My life ticking away.
I think Norton AV has something to do with it as well.
But yes, that long or longer.
Doubling the RAM made a huge difference for them. They were very happy with the $40 upgrade.