Download Manager consumes battery on Tattoo

Hello Forum!

I'm new to Android having bought an HTC Tattoo on Vodafone over the last couple of weeks. I love the phone, powerful yet small but have started off with some bad experiences.

The screen on my first phone became totally unresponsive after about 4 days. And now, the battery on the replacement is pants! I have tracked the cause down to being the download manager, if I force a stop on this the battery lasts a much more acceptable amount of time.

So my question(s),

1. has anyone else experienced the problem with Download Manager?
2. Does anyone know how I can stop Download Manager from loading on startup?
3. What does Download Manager actually do? The phone still functions normally even after I have stopped the service - I can even still download new apps
4. Can I simply uninstall it?
5. Is there an update to Download Manager which might fix the problem?

Thanks in advance,

Simon