I've read a bit about window managers, but I'm not sure if that's what I need or not. I'm using my Maverick laptop at work with an external monitor added and set so they don't mirror. I've used a Mac at work up until recently (although Linux at home) and admit that I've been a bit spoiled with their Spaces and app handling - you can, in the settings panel, indicate that a specific app should always open on a specific monitor. So, for example, I want my IDE to always open on the larger external monitor, while Thunderbird should always open on the small laptop screen.
Is there a way to do this in Ubuntu?