What you like about Unity, Gnome and other desktop environments

[Dragonbite]

So many threads about "hating Unity" or not liking any other desktop environment such as Gnome shell.

What I want to bring up is what do you LIKE about any of the desktop environments? Please say what you like technically and not "I like X because it isn't Y".

For example, I have a Gnome installation on my laptop and there are a few things I like about Gnome:

1. Clicking on the date/time on the panel brings up a calendar that is (supposed to be) linked to my Google Calendar
2. In Activities view can see each of the open windows, can close them individually or easily grab any of them and move them to another workspace
3. An extension that auto-rotates my wallpapers (even if I had to edit the .config file to say it supports Gnome 3.14)
4. The Activities panel just shows the open windows and available applications with simple search. It is uncluttered.
5. The Gnome-included apps (Web, Music, Photo, Video) looks like they have potential for being light and easy to use
6. Attachment to online accounts

Unity:

1. The icons in the status menu (top-right side of panel) makes viewing and getting into certain applications easy (such as easily seeing when Copy is synchronizing)
2. Consistent access to controlling music playing apps under the volume icon instead of different one s for different programs (I use Phitos and the default music player)
3. Familiar feel (Ubuntu 12.04 on family desktop).
4. Accessing favorite applications without having to go into the overlay (Dash/Activities)

In general I think the biggest preference with Gnome over Unity is the Activities window. Wallpaper changing can be done with Wallch in Ubuntu easily enough.

So, what do YOU like about your desktop environment?!!

(remember, no liking X because it isn't Y, nor putting down any environment, only positive comments)

[stalkingwolf]

I like the Mate desktop simply because it give me aplets and the option of the old apps places system menu. very handy when teaching a new user.

[Linuxratty]

I like the Elementary OS desktop because it's crisp and clean and very intuitive.
I also have a menu. The only thing I don't like about it is you can't right click on the desktop to open up stuff.

[nerdtron]

Things that makes me always go back for XFCE:
1. Single click on taskbar icon to change between windows (no groupings, no single icons).
2. Original Alt+tab to switch windows.
3. Move the Taskbar either on top or bottom. Works great for years. Still works now.

And I like KDE too.

Some more on the new Xfce.
1. The default icons and color theme are quite nice in Xfce saves time on customization.
2. The new whisker menu is great. I've been longing for this feature in Xfce.
3. New window management features are here too.
4. Thunar gets updated with support for tabs (Finally!).
5. Simple layout and lightweight.

[Elfy]

post #4 and the thread is already offtopic - THIS thread is about what you LIKE in something there are already threads to complain in - go complain in those.

Thanks.

[Dragonbite]

Things that makes me always go back for XFCE:

Thank you for changing your post! Those are good points, too.

I forgot that I still have a Netbook running Xubuntu and the Whisker menu is definitely better than the old menu style!

[Elfy]

my thanks too

[buzzingrobot]

I find that I'm increasingly agnostic about interfaces, or maybe just easier to please. But, here goes:

1. Virtual workspaces: Must have. One app per workspace plus a dropdown tabbed terminal. Gnome Shells dynamic workspace management suits me best. Cinnamon's suits me least.

2. Changing workspaces with a mouse wheel: Addicted. (Cinnamon lacks it, at least the 2.4 release in Mint 17.1, which is otherwise a beautiful and smooth release.)

3. High quality font rendering -- Not really a factor of DE choice, but it's close. Ubuntu's is the best. I won't consider using -- even testing -- another distribution if it doesn't use the Ubuntu font patches. Almost everything I do with a computer involves writing and reading. Why look at ugly text all day?

4. A dock: Preferably on the left side. (A hangover from years of running OS X alongside Linux.)

5. Dashes/Overview/WhatNots: Instead of menus. No one has come up with the perfect answer for finding apps, etc., on your machine. Menus are fine when they only have relatively few entries. At some point, though, they become ungainly and annoying.

[grahammechanical]

I stayed with Unity because I wanted to follow the development path of Ubuntu. I am now used to Unity. I could get used to another user interface in time. For me, the user interface is not important.

I like the wide open space that I get with the Launcher set to auto-hide. It means that the user interface only takes up the minimum of desktop space. I never did like a desktop littered with icons. The Launcher and the Dash combined let me have both an application centric and document centric way of working depending upon my mood of the moment. There is no need for both application icons and document icons on the wallpaper.

I like the limited set of user adjustments that Ubuntu offers. I am not one to play around modifying the user interfaces. I am just not interested in that kind of stuff.

I like the Linux feature of having more than one work space and an easy way to switch between them. It means I do not have to minimise one application to get access to another application. Just switch workspaces and load the application on another workspace.

The Dash search function is very useful. But I never did find a way of working with the Hud.

Regards.

[kurt18947]

I use gnome-shell as my default desktop. A new install doesn't stay as-is for long though. I have a list of additional apps and a list of extensions. Once those are installed and configured I'm happy. Extensions are a primary reason for my preferring gnome-shell.