decent cursor

[knu]

This is just a cursor but I sometimes use the mouse, and I know you do too: this default 3D alpha-blended clumsily shadowed cursor is just uncomfortable.
I think the default cursor should be simple and _viewable_ on any display: this include being well contrasted and big enough. If the shadow should become an absolute necessity, then it would better not be so far away from the cursor.
First time users and newbies could be disappointed, if not upset: the cursor is the first thing they'll use. But, of course, they want to customize. Well, that's another problem!

[L2Cache]

I didn't like the default mouse pointer either. I use the Flat White Mouse with Shadow X11 Mouse Theme from http://kde-look.org/. It looks good and is easy to see on my laptop screen. To get the mouse pointer to change on the desktop as well, you may need to move your KNOPPIX.desktop file off the desktop to another folder so Knoppix will make a fresh one on reboot.