Use Automator to create and save a ‘Start Screen Saver’ service that accepts no input and is available to all applications. You can find the appropriate Automator action under ‘Utilities’. Then you can simply assign this new service a shortcut from the Keyboard Shortcuts preference pane.

If you would prefer to lock the screen rather than use a screen saver, use Automator to run a shell script with the following command:

/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu\ Extras/User.menu/Contents/Resources/CGSession -suspend

Then set the keyboard shortcut as before. Huzzah!

See this (more general) tip:
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20090903085255430

As an aside, I’ve found that whenever I change technology (particularly when forced to do so), I notice what is doesn’t do compared with my old way of doing things. Anything new / better doesn’t slap you around the face and interfere like something that’s missing or done differently does, so the minuses tend to be more obvious than the plusses, at least in the short term…

Anyway, I use synergy at work to share my keyboard and mouse between the mac and my other computer (linux box). Locking the screen this way causes the synergy client on the mac to suspend as well, meaning I have to use the laptop’s keyboard to log back in. When using the hot corner/screen saver method, synergy still works.

Also, is there really no way to have ctrl as part of my hotkey sequence without that stupid dialog? My linux box is set up to use ctrl-alt-L. I’d like to have them the same on both machines.