Hi,

 I think a big UI improvement to the panel would be to have the
launchers/menues/applets/etc. remember the last place the user manually put
them.  The item would then *try* to get as close to that point as possible,
but still make room for other applets and such as it work nows.

 For example, say I have a workspace switcher w/ 4 workspaces in two
columns, and just to the right of that is my task list.  If I change the
settings for the switcher to be 1 row, the tasklist gets pushed to the
right to make room.  If I then change the switcher back to 2 rows, the
tasklist does not move back - there is now a big gap I have to fix.

 If the tasklist remembered that I placed it to the location X points along
the panel, then when the switcher shrank, the tasklist could've gone "oh,
hey, I've got room now to move back towards where the user wants me to be!"
and done just that.

 Of course, there are things to worry about, such as order of jumping (two
launchers pushed a ways off to the right, the offending applet is removed -
if the launcher on the right is updated first, it would jump back first,
possibly blocking the other launcher's spot - that launcher would then only
be able to move left some ways to get closer.  this would change the order
the launchers are in, which would be bad.)

 Also, would there be a way to set a default panel/location for new applets
to appear?  if I have two panels, then run an applet from the command-line,
how does it know on which panel, and where, to show up?  This is why I
still advocate that developers should only use docklets unless specifically
writing a panel-oriented utility... ~,^