Very nice! Whether I have to tap or swipe this notification bar is fine with me.

Something I came across yesterday. There is an android app called kockr that, when the screen goes black, allows you to swipe to open an app. You can assign different swipe gestures for different apps. I'm not sure if the device is actually in a sleep state before you swipe although it has the appearance it. If not it could be a battery drain. Also, if you double tap the black screen it takes you to the home screen (note, not the lockscreen).