Comment 4 for bug 759724

I concur that these icons are relatively useless in this position...

I'm a heavy workplace user. I often have 20 applications open, spread across two monitors, with 4 workplaces.

For me the Unity bar is a regression in usability: there's not enough space to list all the running programs since they don't resize. Solution: make the icons resizeable. There are other launchers - they've already solved this problem. Learn their lessons?

Ditto above: The Applications and Files folders are useless since the same functionality is available in the Dash. But I understand that for people using Unity for the first time these need to be present: the Dash is not obvious. Solution: These should be removable with right click.

The workspace icon is at the bottom of the list, with the other system icons. It can't be moved out of this position. This is a terrible place for a heavy workplace user. To switch workplaces with the mouse, you have to scroll through the list which is inevitably half compressed, then trigger, then select the workspace you want. In previous versions of Ubuntu users could just select the workspace in one step - point and click. Now we have 3. Or if we use keyboard switching, at least 2 keypresses. I understand this is a good solution for people who hardly ever use workspaces. For power users, the solution is - to allow the icon to be moveable - personally, I need it at the top of the list - and to allow Super,S,1 to trigger the first workplace, Super, S, 2 the second, and so on. I think this crosses into compiz settings.

Lastly, on my screens, the indicator of which workplace is selected is subtle. Very very subtle. A positive indicator icon, rather than shading would be better. I'm guessing this is a compiz setting I haven't explored/found.