@ Brian:
> If you want to put different stuff, including backgrounds on each
> virtual desktop, just go to System Setting -> Workspace Behavior and
> pick the Virtual Desktops section from the left.  Then just check off
> "Different widgets for each desktop"

 I got this far, but this is where 3.x used to set seperate wallpapers.
Now it has seperate (default) names.  Desktop 1, Desktop 2...

> Then all you have to do is setup a widget such as Desktop (The default),
> or folder view on each desktop and set the appropriate background for
> each desktop.

 Desktop widgets, per Desktop, sounds good, I'll try it later.
But this is not the installed default.  Whereas, Mouse Gestures are.  (Very rude.)

>   It's actually a LOT more versatile that the old way of
> doing things, although admittedly a lot less obvious.

Obviously not obvious. 
So, you have no opinion on KDE's default settings?

I still think Gnome is not able to do this.
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Using_GNOME/Desktop_Background

  (-:  Chas.M.  :-)