=== modified file 'data/ui/preferences/appearance.ui'
--- data/ui/preferences/appearance.ui	2010-07-02 14:03:13 +0000
+++ data/ui/preferences/appearance.ui	2010-09-16 23:44:01 +0000
@@ -10,6 +10,21 @@
         <property name="orientation">vertical</property>
         <property name="spacing">3</property>
         <child>
+          <object class="GtkCheckButton" id="gui/show_info_area">
+            <property name="label" translatable="yes">Show Info Area in UI</property>
+            <property name="visible">True</property>
+            <property name="can_focus">True</property>
+            <property name="receives_default">False</property>
+            <property name="use_underline">True</property>
+            <property name="draw_indicator">True</property>
+          </object>
+          <packing>
+            <property name="expand">False</property>
+            <property name="fill">False</property>
+            <property name="position">0</property>
+          </packing>
+        </child>
+        <child>
           <object class="GtkCheckButton" id="gui/use_splash">
             <property name="label" translatable="yes">Show splash screen on startup</property>
             <property name="visible">True</property>

=== modified file 'xlgui/__init__.py'
--- xlgui/__init__.py	2010-07-26 20:26:14 +0000
+++ xlgui/__init__.py	2010-09-17 01:10:48 +0000
@@ -261,6 +261,8 @@
         """
             Allows plugins to be the last selected panel
         """
+        if settings.get_option('gui/show_info_area', True) is False:
+            self.main.info_area.hide_all()
         try:
             last_selected_panel = settings.get_option(
                 'gui/last_selected_panel', 'collection')

=== modified file 'xlgui/main.py'
--- xlgui/main.py	2010-08-21 14:15:14 +0000
+++ xlgui/main.py	2010-09-17 01:12:12 +0000
@@ -272,6 +272,7 @@
             'playlist_tracks_removed')
 
         # Settings
+        self._on_option_set('gui_option_set', settings, 'gui/show_info_area')
         event.add_callback(self._on_option_set, 'option_set')
 
     def _connect_panel_events(self):
@@ -758,6 +759,12 @@
                 self.controller.tray_icon = None
             elif not self.controller.tray_icon and usetray:
                 self.controller.tray_icon = tray.TrayIcon(self)
+	
+        if option == 'gui/show_info_area':
+            if settings.get_option(option, True):
+                self.info_area.show_all()
+            else:
+                self.info_area.hide_all()
 
     def _update_track_information(self):
         """

=== modified file 'xlgui/preferences/appearance.py'
--- xlgui/preferences/appearance.py	2010-07-04 16:17:48 +0000
+++ xlgui/preferences/appearance.py	2010-09-16 23:45:00 +0000
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@
 icon = 'preferences-desktop-theme'
 ui = xdg.get_data_path('ui', 'preferences', 'appearance.ui')
 
+class ShowInfoAreaPreference(widgets.CheckPreference):
+    default = True
+    name = 'gui/show_info_area'
+
 class SplashPreference(widgets.CheckPreference):
     default = True
     name = 'gui/use_splash'