Photoshop :: How To Make Limited Number Of Colors Swatches Fill The Panel

I have been using Adobe since CS3, now using CS5. Why is there still no way to have the color swatches FILL the panel.

I rarely use more than, say, 8 to 12 colors in a document. Why can't I set the Adobe products (I mostly use Ps, Id, and Il) so that the swatches panel has no blank space. I would like to have the colors will fill the entire space with LARGER tiles/icons. I find it very frustrating to have to click on a micro-sized square to pick a color. Or, try to discern small changes in the shade between 2 colors by squinting at such a small sample (again micro-sized square).