The workspace switcher works by the user pressing a key combination (suchg
as ctrl+alt+arrow key) to move from one workspace to another.

In rh8, this operation reacts when the user releases all keys. In gnome2.2
(garnome), it reacts on arrow key press. This is suboptimal in my view. The
benefit of not actually switching until the user releases all keys is that
the user can flip along in the small iconic view until the correct
workspace is selected, without having to see (and suffer redrawin of) the
workspaces that are intermediate to the target one. It also means a user
may change their mind and flip back to the original workspace without the
desktop ever changing. Also, with marginal keyboards (keyboards with
contact bounce; cramped laptop keyboards), the immediate switch makes it
more likely that the user overshoots their intended workspace. In all, I
feel a greater sense of control with the kind of delayed execution that the
rh8 setup offered for this operation.