[coldtea]

>I just use multiple monitors with everything I need on them in the same workspace.

Well, many of us use a single monitor or a laptop to get work done. Thus multiple workspaces make more sense.

Virual workspaces have been in Unix/Linux/X-Windows since the 90s (or even before) anyway.

>Do you guys actually use these features? I find the contextual switching distracting.

Yep.

Why would it be more distracting than looking to another monitor (and thus having to physically turn your gaze/neck as opposed to a single keyboard shortcut)?

For me, the purpose of multiple desktops is to reduce distration. Instead of many things visible to you all the time (in one or more monitors) and competing for your attention, you can have several things open, but only focus to one at a time, separate them by work, or program type, or workflow step, etc.