I've tried several approaches and have not found a way to get mine down to a single column of widgets either... however, that's what I got mine for was to have the controls available at all times, with visuals for shopping and weather and to do list and calendar... I'm not looking for anything the device doesn't offer, but I can see how one might want it to be more customizable. Hopefully, for those who want, the guys at Amazon will do some updates that allow for a more open and personalized experience eventually. But... Keep in mind, we are all just beta testers on a daily basis. That's why the products and devices are at a price we can afford. Otherwise the devices would be for the overly wealthy only.