I usually have a Finder window much wider than this, usually at least five columns. I didn't even know I could remove the View choice icon, but I'm thinking about removing that, also. Just as I never use Spotlight, I never use that View choice thing, and both items are just a key stroke away, anyway.
[attachment=1637:Finder_Tool_Bar.jpg]
I'm really using the Tool Bar as a 'dock.' But my mouse is more often at the top of the screen than the bottom, so this is easier for me. And my 24" iMac's screen
is rather tall... YMMV.
A Droplet is just an applet, I think. They are basically AppleScripts that you 'drop' something on to activate them, just like dragging a file onto an apps icon to open it. I don't have enough repetitive tasks to see a need for AS. Nor have I been able to make an Automator 'app' that didn't require me to write an AS for it to use.
Like I say, again, I'm not repetitive, I'm not repetitive, I'm not repetitive, I'm not repetitive.