Some people that know me here will say I am cheer-leading, but that's OK. 
If you plan to use lots of dashboards there are several great dashboard "add-ons" as well as smartly which is a 'skin' and runs mostly local to HE without additional equipment to install. I work closely with @spelcheck on smartly, so yes i am biased.
In any event, if your interaction with your home is going to involve more than the occasional dash use, I would consider researching some of the more unconventional dashboard approaches. The Show Off Tread is a great place to start seeing what is available and fine tuning your goals on the dash side of things.
Happy to help you get the most out of your HE experience! Where the only thing better than the hub, is the community of people who help support/improve it!!
