> My problem with xfce and most other Linux desktops is that they look like a Windows desktop from the early 2000s. It's an aesthetic that I don't personally enjoy; I'm much more of a shiny/fancy user, which is why I like Aero, or to a lesser extent, Mac OS X.

Sounds like you might enjoy Elementary OS, or at least that's probably the closest that Linux gets to what you're describing.