Comment 7 for bug 682788

When using Microsoft-Windows-7, I park the Taskbar (panel) on the leftside of the screen (where the Unity launcher resides). Therefore, I have NO Taskbar or Panel taking up vertical space. When I open an application (e.g, Firefox), I have only the application's Titlebar and Menubar taking up vertical space. Like nick described, I also put all Firefox controls onto the Menubar. Unfortunately, the use of Global-Menus would prevent my multifaceted use of the Firefox Menubar. This will then make it necessary to use additional bars, resulting in less vertical space:

      Unity layout (with Global-Menus enabled) showing Firefox maximized:
             1. Global-Menu/Panel
             2. Titlebar
             3. Navigationbar

      Windows-7 layout (with Taskbar on left) showing Firefox maximized:
             1. Titlebar
             2. Menubar/Navigationbar

However, if Unity does not use Global-Menus but instead merges the Titlebar into the Top-Panel, then the vertical space offered in Windows-7 can be matched:

      Unity layout (with merged-Titlebar & No-Global-Menus) showing Firefox maximized:
             1. Titlebar/Panel
             2. Menubar/Navigationbar

Another option would be to allow users to get rid of the Top-Panel and put notification icons onto the Unity-launcher (like a Windows-7 Taskbar). But if a Top-Panel is used, without a merged-Titlebar vertical space is reduced. The Titlebar is necessary so people can identify what window they are seeing, so it can't be omitted entirely.

One of the things I love about Windows-7 is its use of button-icons which allow me to park the Taskbar on the leftside of the screen; thereby, optimizing vertical space. Although Unity's design intends to save vertical space, its use of a Top-Panel presents a problem. The use of Global-Menus does not solve this problem--in some ways it makes it worse while introducing additional problems. But merging the Titlebar into the Top-Panel when windows are maximized presents a reasonable solution.