Alternative to embedded ActiveX Listbox

Hello everyone,
I'm pretty fed up with embedded ActiveX controls on my worksheets.  I'm so sick of them getting all messed up whenever I dock/un-dock my laptop and my display resolution changes.  I have tried Dave Millers Add-in for saving the location of the controls and it works but I don't like having to do that every time.

Currently I am in the process of making up a dashboard and I need a multi-column control, either a combo box or a list box.  I REALLY don't want to use an ActiveX control.  Here are some options I've thought of...

1. Using a Form control and try to fake the multi-column effect with spaces or tabs between entries.  This works if I use a fixed width font but I don't want to do that.  If I use a variable width font I'm stuck trying to figure out the length of the text string in points and translating that into an equivalent number of spaces.  Pretty ugly.
2. Employing a user form.  ActiveX controls do not get messed up when used in a form like they do when embedded on the worksheet.  I was even thinking of trying to embed the user from onto the worksheet as a container for the controls.  Seems backwards as the worksheet itself is a "container" for the controls, it just sucks.
3. Somehow using data validation drop downs.  Not really sure how this could give me the multi-column effect but I suppose it is an option.

Anyone else have any ideas?  Sharing your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Kyle