After running Debian on the "big computer" since March of 2011, I decided tonight to swap it out for Lubuntu, which is Ubuntu with the LXDE desktop. Debian with LXDE still remains happily on the little netbook.
Some reasons for the big-box OS swapout:
- Gnome has become a RFPITA, that includes ALL forms of Gnome.
- Debian's LXDE is COOL, but Lubuntu is sexy and pretty right out of the box.
- For the shallow geek-lite, like me, glamour on the desktop is important, so that points to Lubuntu.
My uneducated, quick, shallow, biased assessment of common desktop environments:
- KDE – couldn't stand it anymore after Plasma.
- Gnome 3 – RFPITA.
- Gnome 3 Fallback – Still a RFPITA.
- Unity – Romper Room, totally.
- Xfce – the biggest lie there ever was: "It aims to be fast and low on system resources." Ha! I betcha find Xfce to be heavier than Gnome or KDE. Thanks, Josh Phelps, for helping me come out of the closet on this one.
- LXDE – The only one that behaves itself and runs fast as lightning. So simple and visually appealing that you might start to have impure thoughts about it. 😀 Totally hot!
I might reverse myself on all this tomorrow, but for now it stays.
Why swap out an operating system? "If it feels good, do it."
Fuenteovejuna did it 
I got recognition! 😀 I'm sticking with Slacko Puppy's default environment. Faster than lightning! Xfce was, and always will be, a lie.Likewise, it wasn't lightweight and fast. It felt like Gnome on McDonald's.
Seems like you're trying to tempt me away from Gnome. Hmm, when I next upgrade the OS, LXDE may be what I'll go for.