Hi,
> Some comments and suggestions about the panel:
> 
> * The current icon for Iceweasel is the IE6/7 icon from XP, but it
>   looks different in Windows 8. See my screenshot.
>
Done.
 
> * The icons for pidgin and claws should be changed to those of the
>   People (or Skype) and Mail apps, respectively, like in my
> screenshot. Or they should be removed, which perhaps is the simplest.
>
Done.
> * The icons for KeyPassX and GNOME terminal should be removed. There
>   are no immediate *common* applications corresponding to these.
>
Done.
 
> * Possibly we can add a launcher for the home directory, as the
>   left-most one, which seems to be the default in Windows 8/8.1.
> 
Done, but it's not (yet) the exact right icon.
> * Can we remove the "separators" (or whatever those lightblue, "dotty"
>   things are calleD) on the left and right of the tasks?
> 
I fail to find how to theme or remove that (without patching
gnome-panel)
> * The shutdown applet is actually quite stealthy as it is (size and
>   color), but it'd be better if it could be moved to between the
> system tray and the clock applet. On windows the clock seems to
> always be touching the right edge of the screen.
> 
Done.
> * The clock applet's text should be white.
> 
Done.
> * The Vidalia icon in the system tray has a weird grey rectangle
>   beneath it. Can we remove it?
> 
Not achieved.
> * Can we make the icons in the system tray smaller? The size of
>   Vidalia's and the shutdown applet icon are pretty good.
> 
There is a CSS property for that:
NaTrayApplet {
    -NaTrayApplet-icon-size: 20px;
    -NaTrayApplet-icon-padding: 1;
}
But it's unfortunately not applied in wheezy. I'm giving up.
> Also, about the desktop: it seems the only thing there by default is
> the Recycle Bin, so we should remove everything else, IMHO.
>
Done.
Let's see for the rest...
Cheers