Do you like hiding the dock but do you still want to keep an eye on your email & contacts?
Check out these Mac Menu Bar Email & Contacts Apps:
Cardhop
Mail Mini
Be notified right away when unread messages come in. Mail Mini is a simple email notifier that supports mail providers that use IMAP.
MailTab
MailTab lets you instantly access your Gmail account without having to open your web browser. It gives a mobile view of your inbox as a drop-down in your menu bar. You can read, reply and manage your inbox without having to open Gmail in your browser.
Mail Unread Menu
Mail Unread Notifier is a nifty menu bar app for people who like to hide their dock but don’t want to miss email messages when they come in. You can also ‘check for new mail’ without opening up your Mail app.