"too many advanced option will scare the common user"
well common users shouldn't be poking their head around at advanced options
oh and i doubt it will scare them to much, if theres a good/simple description of what every option does, and maybe a concept example in the help file..

I personally hate toolbars, especially when they go all the way across the screen, and end up taking up 1/10 of the actual bar..
a few 'toolbars' can easily fit on one line, and the dividers between toolbars should be drag-able which will minimize the size needed, force designers to put the important stuff furthest to the left, and allow for all the uncommonly used buttons to be hid behind the divider.

I to would like to see the downloads bar gone (or at-least auto-minimize) but only as an OPTION, since it does add some nice features

If you don't like the toolstrip, just don't install extensions using them.. I miss my clocks displaying multiple timezones...

Options are definitely the right way. Giving users options and choices is what software is all about.

Bloody_Turds is exactly correct. "Common users" will not be looking at all the advanced options, and advanced options are not scary, especially when accompanied by good descriptions.

Originally Posted by OpenNingia

if all those N flows divide again in N**M flows thanks to another option.. well you can understand why too many options will bloat the code and the testing procedures...
PS. BTW, bloating the tests means " not to test something " which leads to bugged features.

If there are N**M number of options to test, I fully expect that the Google development team will write good tests and have good automated procedures to test all those cases.

Simple options will not significantly bloat the code. And if you think "bloating the tests" means "not to test something", then there's something seriously wrong with the development or testing people. More test means just do them, write good automated procedures, and make sure they are all tested and working.

Google has made serious and fundamental flaws by the dearth of configuration options in Chrome.

Originally Posted by ninedays

If you don't like the toolstrip, just don't install extensions using them.. I miss my clocks displaying multiple timezones...

But the problem now, ninedays, is that it is not up to users anymore whether to choose or not to use "toolstrip extensions".

Chrome has removed all support for toolstrips in the latest versions. "Toolstrip extensions" simply do not work anymore.

All extensions must be updated to either Browser Actions or Page Actions.