KDE4 is known for having Many problems, that's why many distros are
sticking with 3. Instead of the XFCE, might try Fluxbox, another
desktop for low resource usage.

What about enlightenment?

Anyone trying that one out.

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.

KDE4 is known for having Many problems, that's why many distros are
sticking with 3. Instead of the XFCE, might try Fluxbox, another
desktop for low resource usage.

I have used E16 in Ubuntu and like it well enough. I prefer E17, but it is only
available in some distros such as Elive. It is very elegant and unique. It is
one of those desktop managers that you either like or don't right away. It isn't
one that will grow on you, just because it is so different.