If this is your first time here, I suggest you first read my general post about distrohopping. 🙂

I have been running Xubuntu (11.10) as alternate distro for a while. My experience has been similar to Lubuntu. Easy to install, stable, a few minor update reminders now and then. LXDE and XFCE are both GTK-based. Both are derivates of Ubuntu, still under the Canonical umbrella [link].

I had some problems using USB headset (which I use, but not often), but found advice on Ubuntuforums, a great resource. I installed pavucontrol, and the headset worked.

If you like XFCE, Xubuntu is a nice implementation of it. Lightweight like Lubuntu but less frugal.

This was a short "review", but please read more of my Lubuntu review. The experience was for me quite similar.