SQL Developer

I've successfully installed SQL Developer 2.1 and it works just fine except for one annoying "feature". It opens an "empty" MS-DOS command window which I suspect is for startup error messages.

If I close the window, it closes SQL Developer.
I've used search terms such as "MS-DOS", "window", "startup", and others unsuccessfully.

My questions are:
1) Is this MS-DOS command window known under another name? If so, what is it?
2) Is there a way to automatically close this window if SQL Developer starts up successfully?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!