The calendar is an add-on called Lightning. Go to the add-ons and, click Extensions and uninstall it. As for chat I just deleted the button. I do not believe it does anything if you do not launch it. To remove the button right click a blank spot on the toolbar it is on and select Customize. Drag the button off the toolbar and drop it in the dialog box hat opened.

FYI: it is usually the real time email scanning of your antivirus hat slows that slows things down and really does not keep you any safer. http://kb.mozillazine.org/Thunderbird_:_FAQs_:_Anti-virus_Software

Thanks for the quick solution. I disabled Lighting extension and it starts quicker now, about 5 seconds to come up and then it finishes getting new mail. The odd thing is that the same TB verson on the same os, W7, loads almost instantly on our laptop.

While disabling Lighting, I saw a disabled extension called MinTrayR. Turned it on hoping it would show me a new mail count in the icon like Apple mail does bit it didn't. Quitting TB and then launching with this extension, TB starts instantly but I think it really does not quit the app.