Mike:
I think the issue is more about user choice and user personal preference rather than one person deciding what is uniformally “best” or “most productive” for everyone.
It’s one of the reasons Windows gives you “six-ways-from-Sunday” for doing the exact same thing.
People then customize their desktop experience so that it works best for them.
For me, I usually turn off/remove the excessive tool bar clutter, if I don’t need it.
Windows PC’s are called “personal computers” for a reason…