1. Some switchbar buttons display a tooltip on mouse over, others don't. This applies to (seemingly random) channel and query buttons, probably other window types as well.

2. Since v6.3, the active window's switchbar button is highlighted on activity if mIRC is not the active application. When mIRC becomes active again, the highlight is removed...unless another application opens a window by itself.
Example: mIRC is active when an IM window pops up. If you close that IM window now, mIRC becomes the active app again, but the active switchbar button remains highlighted and stays that way until you issue a command or switch to another window.