Hours?

    sudo apt-get install midori

Download and install the elementaryIcons theme from gnome-look, deviantart or [launchpad](https://launchpad.net/elementaryicons)

(put them in /usr/share/icons)

Download and install [eGTK](https://launchpad.net/egtk)

Download and install docky

    sudo apt-get install docky

Took about ten minutes. And you've just saved yourself $10.

Here's a screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/4cVN4.jpg

Edit: Dexter's available on a PPA:

    sudo add-apt-repository ppa:lallenlowe/dexter-ppa
    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get install dexter

Postler's a little more difficult to get

    sudo apt-get install bzr
    bzr branch lp:postler (make sure you're logged in to lp)
    sudo apt-get install valac libunique-dev libunique-1.0-0 libwebkit-dev libwebkit-1.0-2 libnotify-dev libindicate-dev libdb4.7-dev msmtp (in my case, you may need build-essentials, python et al)
    ./waf configure
    ./waf
    sudo ./waf install

Postler doesn't have a gnome menu icon but it does run if you Alt+F2 and run postler.

Edit 2: Postler seems to be non-functioning.

Latest and greatest screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/awG2V.jpg

Enjoy.

same question. Initially, I got the impression that they're building a new OS altogether, but the more I read, the more they seem to be just another Linux distro, albeit prettier.

Perhaps the team needs to be more clear on what makes El-OS different/better as the current description is too vague.