Comparing apples to apples:
I routinely operate GE C44AC units, both AC4400's and ES44 "Evo" widebodies. Desktop or Standard? Desktop for me.
GE placed the air brake handles about 8 inches TOO far rearward on the standard AAR control stand. No matter what I do, I can't reach SOMETHING without twisting and bending a part of my body. And I'm 6'2".
If I sit facing forward, towards the track (0 degrees centered), my left arm is crooked reaching back for the handles. Like making the old "stop" hand sign used in driving an automobile. Then I must reach my right hand across my waist to bail off.
If I sit sideways, facing the left window (away from the track, 60 degrees off center), my hands can reach both handles, but my head/neck is twisted to the right in order to look out the window. My chin is inline with my right shoulder.
If I move the seat ALL THE WAY back, it's still not far enough to comfortably reach the handles AND face forward. I must still turn sideways (towards the headlight, 30 degrees off center), and turn my head/neck to the right, although not as much. But then I can't reach the IFD.
And for switching ... forget it. You can't turn the seat 90 degrees to the left to face the control stand and look out the back for a hand signal. The seat is TOO CLOSE to the control stand, nowhere to put your legs! Not to mention there's no side window that opens to even look for a hand signal. Only the forward side window opens; the rear window is fixed. So, the seat can be turned sideways, find a place to put your legs, you can look forward and backward through the windows, but you can't lean out the window to see a hand signal because of where the seat is fixed to the floor. The rear window doesn't open, and it wouldn't matter anyway. All the seats are high-backed captain's chairs.
Another minor issue I have is the headlight switch placement. Down low below the air brake handles. When you're in the clear meeting an opposing train with your lights off and you reach down to turn them on to do a roll-by at night, you reach down in the dark and fumble around to find the Front headlight switch. Yea, I know ... it's the one that's forward of the three. Three? Yes, three. All three switches down there feel the same ... Front headlight, Rear headlight, and Heater/AC. All three have the same knob. And the Ditch Light switch is by itself above the air brake handles.
I personally prefer to "switch" with a desktop and look out the side window using the mirror when required. But nowadays, the rules have been modified to all-but prohibit using hand signals. No legal hand signal for "three point/step" protection. No legal hand signal for "(switch name) lined, locked, and checked for (normal/reverse) position. No legal hand signal for "(derail name) in (derailing/non-derailing) position". So, in everyday practice, hand signs are not used anymore, and the control stand type is irrelevant when switching. But in road service, I do prefer the desktop for the above mentioned reasons.
"A" for effort, "C-" for execution.
Post Script:
I do prefer being in a widebody locomotive cab for safety reasons. Two co-workers of mine collided with some cars (8 or 10) that "got loose" and ended up derailed on the main track in front of them at NIGHT (unsignalled territory). They were doing 40+MPH, saw the mess ahead of them in their headlights, dumped the air, and collided at 32 MPH. Both engines turned over and destroyed, but both crew members crawled out the the wreckage and were working again 72 hours later.