KDE 4 is a little a little better than KDE 3.5 regarding resource usage, but it
is not as good as XFCE. However, it is fair to say that KDE 4.1 still isn't
ready for prime time. It is a work in progress to my way of thinking. Justin may
have to put up with a few annoyances as he experiments with different desktops.
They are not all equal. Each has its own advantages, disadvantages and
peculiarities.

Each desktop manager has its own settings. The keyboard is one of the things
that can be configured from the control panel. You can also program keys to
customize the keyboard. Since it is laptop with an integrated keyboard, he may
have to go the customization route.