I use i3-wm and just set my laptop display and external monitor to their native modes manually with xrandr. Been doing it this way for years without an issue. The only time I've seen the output get chopped like you mention is with mirroring, where you have to use the lowest common mode - but I don't mirror, I set each display independently as a separate output for i3 (but on the same X DISPLAY).
I also don't use a login manager, I login to a VTY and startx, old school but simple and reliable.
Yeah, the new logo is terrible, only takes up 1/2 the icon. I'll just suck it up, personally, but I don't know how they thought this little icon is an improvement over the old one - it's not. In any way. Ah well...
I have a couple - one doorbell cam and an Argus Pro. I don't really integrate them with my HASS setup though - haven't found a compelling reason to do so. Avoid the battery powered cameras like the Argus Pro though - nearly useless (poor object detection, no RTSP, slow to connect, no HASS integration).
I switched out three Honeywell TCC thermostats in the spring with Ecobee. All in all, the Ecobee units are great and work well with HASS. I use the cloud API integration and have some automation that kicks set-back in a bit quicker than 2 hours like the t-stats do natively when we are out of the house.
The only regret I have is I bought the higher end model, but should have bought the cheaper ones - I don't (and won't) use the built-in Alexa, don't need the C wire kit, and the VOC/CO2 sensor is garbage.
The remote temp/occupancy sensors are great and do help balance out temperatures when the t-stat doesn't cover all rooms very effectively.
It depends on what you are doing, but there are lots of viable free alternatives. In addition to GIMP you mentioned, take a look at Darktable if you do photo editing. Any piece of complex software takes time to learn.
Try going into the Steam settings and make sure that the appropriate controller is enabled for steam input. I had the same issue recently when switching from an Xbox controller to a Gulikit. Enabling Xbox input in Steam fixed it - even though the new controller is not an Xbox controller, and a real Xbox controller worked fine without enabling it.
manpages. For many of us, it's the only documentation that existed prior to the Internet.