I used CDE more than Irix (so I can't speak too much to Irix), and generally preferred it for its clean look. And that's the reason I'd use it for what I call R

I used CDE more than Irix (so I can't speak too much to Irix), and generally preferred it for its clean look. And that's the reason I'd use it for what I call Rebasing. Similar to bullet journaling, you find a clean slate that helps bring you to some sense of organization and the big picture again. Also similar to bullet journaling, it doesn't take a modern DE to do so. An old one with a usable text editor will do fine. In fact the clean lines, sensible design, and visible pixels give some of us a mental cue toward a simpler, gentler productivity reset. I find that my main DE is much less compelling in that way, modern though it may be.