I think in your rage you overlooked my first clause: "Ubuntu should make this clearer". And then I'm talking about "people commenting on Ubuntu stories on Slashdot", nowhere did I say that I'd expect general computer users to figure this out currently.
Though on the other hand it's not that hard either, since the download page has this text:
Click the big orange button to download the latest version of Ubuntu. You will need to create a CD or USB stick to install Ubuntu.
Our long-term support (LTS) releases are supported for three years on the desktop. Perfect for organisations that need more stability for larger deployments.
Granted, that still does not make it very clear, but one would think that someone considering a switch to a new OS would give it 1 minute of thought, and might stop to ponder at "more stability". Still, I agree that IMHO Ubuntu should communicate this differently and more clearly.
Conceded, also the pulseaudio introduction. But I think they have learned that lesson, the schedule for 12.04 is all about no major changes and polish. (Though I still fail to see why the titlebar buttons were such a problem for some people, it took me 10 seconds to adapt, and my wife as well, who uses Ubuntu but is not an expert. And a simple theme change in the standard location changed it back anyway. I do think this was a mountain made out of a molehill)
Ubuntu should make this clearer, but people commenting on Ubuntu stories on Slashdot should have understood by now non-LTS releases are testbeds for developments that culminate in the next LTS.
All Linux systems have slightly worse battery life, though many, Ubuntu included, make efforts to improve this. Recently the kernel has had a problem that further diminished battery run time. AFAIK all distros were affected by this, and it has been fixed now: http://linux.slashdot.org/story/11/11/11/2036245/linux-kernel-power-bug-is-fixed
What? The default desktop in Mint 11 is Gnome 2 and they will move to Gnome 3 (plus tweaks to make it more like Gnome 2) in the next release. LXDE is a separate edition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_Mint#Editions
IMHO it's in particular faster when you don't know what you are looking for, because a search for "web" brings up Firefox for example, or "chat" shows Empathy. Plus I don't get the "no hierarchical menus" complaint anyway, the file lens lets you filter by category, which is almost the same. As for search speed, yes, it is plenty fast in my experience, faster than the box in Win 7 even.
I can understand many of the complaints about Unity, but "large amounts of screen real estate are wasted"??. Quite the opposite IMHO, they save estate like crazy, and actually people usually complain about the space-saving scrollbars, launcher, and desktop-wide menu bar.
Changing back to Gnome 2 in Ubuntu is basically going to be become impossible unless you compile Gnome yourself from sources
Changing back to Gnome 2 is basically going to be impossible in any distro because Gnome 2 is being abandoned by the Gnome project. I guess for a while beyond that you will be able to compile from sources, but the code will rot, and you will have no security fixes. Unless someone puts in the work and maintains the huge code base, Gnome 2 is dead. However gnome-shell and Unity both may not be the last word on desktop shells built on top of Gnome 3. I doubt there will be another one getting traction though: the 2 main complaints in the story's blurb about Unity (multi-monitor support and configurability" will be addressed by Ubuntu. Better multiscreen will be a top target for 12.04, and there were multiple blog posts in recent days that the lack of configuration options was not a design decision but just the result of limited resources, which had to be focused on stuff that was decided to be initially more important. Adding important options will be another goal for 12.04, but not as high priority. Anyway, those people the blurb sees leaving Ubuntu should be able to find compizconfig-settings-manager, which does give some options for Unity, and of course the usual plethora of compiz options.
My own anecdote is that I have used Linux since 95 or so, with many different GUIs, and I, personally, like Unity despite its rough edges. For various reasons I converted one non-expert Linux user, whom I'm supporting, to 11.10. She has used Ubuntu for a few years now and Debian before, and so far she is a bit indifferent, but no complaints, and after a week has found nice stuff in Unity she likes.
It may be a communication problem of Canonical's, but as a tip, treat the releases between LTS releases as test bed releases. Canonical does, so it makes sense to follow that. I'm quite sure by 12.04 LTS Unity will be quite polished.
I believe it had something to do with Gnome's refusal to go in step with Ubuntu's 6 month release schedule (it may be that he felt slighted that they wouldn't do his bidding).
You don't really know what you are talking about, do you. It was exactly the other way 'round, Ubuntu is following Gnome's 6-month cycle.
Once again, it's not Canonical who decided to abandon Gnome 2, the Gnome project did. Ubuntu only had the choice to go with gnome-shell (Gnome 3) or do their own thing. I, for one, greatly prefer Unity over gnome-shell.
Still wrong behavior. A short press should open the dash, a long press should slide the launcher into view and overlay the icons with shortcut numbers.
I agree with Mark, Unity is very easy to use and it's a very discoverable environment. That's not the problem. The reason I don't use Unity as my main desktop is it's not configurable. Power users like easy-to-use and accessible, they also like to configure things to suit their work flow. That's what makes them power users. Unity is also a bit buggy (as of Ubuntu 11.10).
Slashdot Mirror
I think in your rage you overlooked my first clause: "Ubuntu should make this clearer". And then I'm talking about "people commenting on Ubuntu stories on Slashdot", nowhere did I say that I'd expect general computer users to figure this out currently.
Though on the other hand it's not that hard either, since the download page has this text:
Click the big orange button to download the latest version of Ubuntu. You will need to create a CD or USB stick to install Ubuntu.
Our long-term support (LTS) releases are supported for three years on the desktop. Perfect for organisations that need more stability for larger deployments.
Granted, that still does not make it very clear, but one would think that someone considering a switch to a new OS would give it 1 minute of thought, and might stop to ponder at "more stability". Still, I agree that IMHO Ubuntu should communicate this differently and more clearly.
Conceded, also the pulseaudio introduction. But I think they have learned that lesson, the schedule for 12.04 is all about no major changes and polish. (Though I still fail to see why the titlebar buttons were such a problem for some people, it took me 10 seconds to adapt, and my wife as well, who uses Ubuntu but is not an expert. And a simple theme change in the standard location changed it back anyway. I do think this was a mountain made out of a molehill)
Ubuntu should make this clearer, but people commenting on Ubuntu stories on Slashdot should have understood by now non-LTS releases are testbeds for developments that culminate in the next LTS.
All Linux systems have slightly worse battery life, though many, Ubuntu included, make efforts to improve this. Recently the kernel has had a problem that further diminished battery run time. AFAIK all distros were affected by this, and it has been fixed now: http://linux.slashdot.org/story/11/11/11/2036245/linux-kernel-power-bug-is-fixed
What? The default desktop in Mint 11 is Gnome 2 and they will move to Gnome 3 (plus tweaks to make it more like Gnome 2) in the next release. LXDE is a separate edition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_Mint#Editions
Complain to the gnome project, not Ubuntu
IMHO it's in particular faster when you don't know what you are looking for, because a search for "web" brings up Firefox for example, or "chat" shows Empathy. Plus I don't get the "no hierarchical menus" complaint anyway, the file lens lets you filter by category, which is almost the same. As for search speed, yes, it is plenty fast in my experience, faster than the box in Win 7 even.
I can understand many of the complaints about Unity, but "large amounts of screen real estate are wasted"??. Quite the opposite IMHO, they save estate like crazy, and actually people usually complain about the space-saving scrollbars, launcher, and desktop-wide menu bar.
Re 6-months release cycle: just run an LTS, problem solved.
Changing back to Gnome 2 in Ubuntu is basically going to be become impossible unless you compile Gnome yourself from sources
Changing back to Gnome 2 is basically going to be impossible in any distro because Gnome 2 is being abandoned by the Gnome project. I guess for a while beyond that you will be able to compile from sources, but the code will rot, and you will have no security fixes. Unless someone puts in the work and maintains the huge code base, Gnome 2 is dead. However gnome-shell and Unity both may not be the last word on desktop shells built on top of Gnome 3. I doubt there will be another one getting traction though: the 2 main complaints in the story's blurb about Unity (multi-monitor support and configurability" will be addressed by Ubuntu. Better multiscreen will be a top target for 12.04, and there were multiple blog posts in recent days that the lack of configuration options was not a design decision but just the result of limited resources, which had to be focused on stuff that was decided to be initially more important. Adding important options will be another goal for 12.04, but not as high priority. Anyway, those people the blurb sees leaving Ubuntu should be able to find compizconfig-settings-manager, which does give some options for Unity, and of course the usual plethora of compiz options.
APT is like Apples Apps store concept (Linux users usually don't like to admit it)
Since APT predates the Apple apps store by a decade or so, I think you should phrase that "Apple does not like to admit it".
If you use Ubuntu, hate Unity, but would be happy with gnome-shell, why would you switch to Fedora instead of a simple "apt-get install gnome-shell"?
My own anecdote is that I have used Linux since 95 or so, with many different GUIs, and I, personally, like Unity despite its rough edges. For various reasons I converted one non-expert Linux user, whom I'm supporting, to 11.10. She has used Ubuntu for a few years now and Debian before, and so far she is a bit indifferent, but no complaints, and after a week has found nice stuff in Unity she likes.
It may be a communication problem of Canonical's, but as a tip, treat the releases between LTS releases as test bed releases. Canonical does, so it makes sense to follow that. I'm quite sure by 12.04 LTS Unity will be quite polished.
Glad if I could help. CCSM is compizconfig-settings-manager, by the way.
I believe it had something to do with Gnome's refusal to go in step with Ubuntu's 6 month release schedule (it may be that he felt slighted that they wouldn't do his bidding).
You don't really know what you are talking about, do you. It was exactly the other way 'round, Ubuntu is following Gnome's 6-month cycle.
Once again, it's not Canonical who decided to abandon Gnome 2, the Gnome project did. Ubuntu only had the choice to go with gnome-shell (Gnome 3) or do their own thing. I, for one, greatly prefer Unity over gnome-shell.
No, the Gnome project is abandoning Gnome 2.
Something like this is planned for 12.04, I think. Or at least some other, similar shortcut to make LO options available via the launcher.
Still wrong behavior. A short press should open the dash, a long press should slide the launcher into view and overlay the icons with shortcut numbers.
Maybe Win+W, Win+S, or Alt+` (backtick) help
Middleclick to open a new terminal instance (or Win+Shift+Number)
I agree with Mark, Unity is very easy to use and it's a very discoverable environment. That's not the problem. The reason I don't use Unity as my main desktop is it's not configurable. Power users like easy-to-use and accessible, they also like to configure things to suit their work flow. That's what makes them power users. Unity is also a bit buggy (as of Ubuntu 11.10).
apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager
This is some sort of bug or misconfiguration. The Win key is central to Unity's shortcut system and I have never seen it *not* work.
Bullshit. I run it on a Samsung NC10 with the first Atom platform and it runs just fine (and I use the 3D version)
Haha. Super key, type term. Ooooh so tough