I used to color my prompt depending on which server I was connected to (ssh), and a different color scheme for prod, dev and local. But that was a long time ago and the script is buried somewhere, also I don't stay ssh'd to nearly as many places as I did back then. But I did like it, I'd use it now if I had it.

Color green for normal users and red for root. then date, hostname. and finally time of day

PS1="> "

There are two usability tweaks that I would find it hard to live without: (1) red prompt on last-command failure, and (2) highlight what I type, dehighlight output:

Reason for 1 is obvious, 2 is more subtle: it helps my eye scan scrollback and identify what I've typed, which is what I'm scanning for 90% of the time.

Implementations vary, here's how I do it in zsh:

1. PS1='%(?.%K{cyan}%F{white}.%B%K{red}%F{white})XX%b%k%f %(?.%F{cyan}.%F{red})yyy%k%b%F{yellow}%(!.#.$)%f '. Duplication is evil, but AFAIK necessary because the conditional (error check) is %(? and I highlight both parts of my two-part prompt. Suggestions welcome for removing the duplication.
2. zle_highlight=("default:fg=white") (on a Solarized Dark term, where the default fg color is light gray. Adjust to fit your needs).

Fish + OMF.... Work flawlessly

I'm using guake

I like that it's just the F12 key away then F11 to expand to full window. Supports multiple tabs.

Anyone using guake?

I use bash-it and set it to powerline theme

I've been using zsh with "oh my zsh". I started using it as it sounded silly and fun compared to bash. Realistically it doesn't really male mich difference. I like the auto complete, but I couldn't say for sure whether it's the shell, oh-my-zsh or what. But I like it.

I use budspencer theme on fish. https://github.com/oh-my-fish/oh-my-fish/blob/master/docs/Themes.md#budspencer-theme It looks cool and yellow, which I like. I prints the path on the far right and parent folders are printed only with initial letter, so it doesn't take 2 lines in the shell and it ends up pretty short. It also has git integration and some budspencer exclusive commands to perform some cools actions, I don't care about and I have never used. Also, I like that command errors are displayed as ✔ or ✘ on the next prompt. It also prints the time the last command has been running. I use vi keybidings, so prompt color changes when I change the mode feel cool. I would also like to have the execution time for every command, but I have another theme for that I don't remember the name of on my work machine.