[dsr_]

Don't give up hope. I've been using Debian since 1999 or so -- whenever 2.1 came out -- and my changes to desktop have been driven by technology affordability rather than fashion.

I've been using XFCE since 2003ish. On a laptop, I put all the panel business on the right hand side. On a multiscreen desktop, I use the tops of each display, with different things on each, with dynamically informative things on the left and application shortcuts on the right. On a giant screen, I maintain the same concepts as multiscreen but typically use the "smart hiding" feature on the right side panel, plus a corral for minimized applications.

Focus follows mouse; windows don't overlap. On a laptop I generally want no more than 2 windows per virtual screen, and the ability to flip through them very quickly. On a desktop, again: dynamic on the left, static on the right.