When working on a small screen or laptop, the time controls are big. If you don't plan to change the preview options, click the up arrow next to the phrase ˜Time Controls to reclaim a good deal of screen space. When you need the extra controls back, click the down arrow or the Time Controls palette submenu.
If you decide to reclaim even more screen space, close the Time Controls palette entirely, and invoke a RAM preview by pressing 0 on the numeric keypad.