Some ideas seem kind of interesting, like the HUD thingy, but I very much doubt it will be enough to bring disappointed users back to using Ubuntu. Xubuntu is quite good if you're looking for something close to the gnome 2 experience.
If that's how you look at the desktop, then you should definitely look at Lubuntu. It's just windows and a panel. When you look at an Xfce desktop, it looks like Xfce. When you look at Lubuntu, it's just windows and a panel.
I typically run Clementine, Thunderbird, Aurora channel Firefox, and gvim. It works splendidly on my Lenovo y560p.