Can Xfce plugins work outside of the xfce panel -- or a better way to compiz?

[Andrew Robinson]

I am looking to upgrade my xubuntu to hardy from gutsy, but I am
debating if I want to keep using xfce. I really love the xfce plugins
and I cannot find comparable ones for KDE or gnome (especially the
system load monitor, network monitor, disk performance monitor and the
volume control that all look very nice with their separate progress
bar approach for each statistic). The main reason I do not like XFCE
is the lack of integration with compiz and other user candy. I don't
really care to spend hours on end mucking with Xsession files to try
to get compiz to run instead of xfwm4 and then dealing with any
incompatibilities. Both KDE and Gnome have integrated support for
compiz and that is extremely desirable to me.

I never use thunar (I must have a two pane file manager with tabs like
krusader as I find it greatly improves file management) or other Xfce
apps, it is really just the panel that I like, which I am not sure is
enough to keep me around. Also, the focus stealing prevention in xfce4
has never worked for me (stops all focus stealing, including not
giving focus when I open a dialog from a program), and I would love to
be able to avoid that.

So I can either, (1) switch to the new KDE4 with kubuntu and suffer
with bad applets compared to xfce, or (2) stick with xfce and deal
with lack of integrated support with programs like compiz.

If I did switch to KDE, I do not suppose there is a way to run xfce4
plugins inside of kicker is there?

Does anyone know of any plans to integrate compiz into xfce without
manual configuration?

Out of curiosity, is Xfce working on any cool new user candy, like
plasma in kde4?

Thanks,
Andrew