I have had a similar problem with my XP Media edition Gateway. Sometimes when booting I get to the background but never get icons nor a taskbar. I have to restart the computer with the power switch to reboot. Sometimes it takes 4 or 5 reboots for it to boot "normal". It does not do this every time - just wehn it is incomvenient. When I talked to a tech he said first reload Windows. If that doesn't fix the problem, then the hard drive is getting ready to crash and it needs to be replaced.
I "solved" the problem by giving that computer to my wife and buying this Acer 8.9" screen one that we have talked about in the gadget thread. Well, it solved the problem for me, anyway