Why do you say that? There used to be applications there and now there aren't? Or is this just you guessing that it's not good?
It's not mandatory that applications are set to auto start. If it's a new installation then it's obvious that you won't have any applications there. Even if it's not a new installation, it doesn't mean anything.
True and not true. Not all startup programs remain active. Some are one-shot programs, for example, to check for updates for certain software, perform maintenance, etc. Also, they are not only there to slow down your computer...