If you create a script containing both $IE_HIDE and $ie.minimize, $ie.minimize will go ahead and minimize whatever window has focus (which might happen to be an IE window, but is just as likely to be some other application).

Expected:
$ie.minimize should never minimize anything other than IE.

Sample script to repro the bug:

require 'test/unit'
require 'watir'

class TC_OnlyMinimizeIE < Test::Unit::TestCase

  def test_only_minimize_ie
    $HIDE_IE = true
    $browser = Watir::IE.new
    5.times do
      $browser.minimize # this will currently minimize five items from your desktop.
    end #do
  end #def
end #class