Gnome (http://www.gnome.org) is a Desktop and Session
Manager. Metacity
is a Window Manager.
KDE (http://www.kde.org) is a Gnome
alternative and WindowMaker and Enlightenment and
Sawfish are alternatives to Metacity.
The LBX (Low Bandwidth X) server extension is useful for increasing
the responsiveness of remote X applications. Remote Emacs windows are
now being delivered to my desktop over a 33 K connection at about 3
times more quickly! (Also more quickly than my LBX connection from
MSWindows/NT using Exceed!)