Ubuntu 12.04 LTS & Unity: Ubuntu's "Win8?"

[craig10x]

Jim...i wasn't overly thrilled with unity when i first saw it either, but when i went back and gave it a fair chance and spent a few weeks with it, i found that it was actually a VERY nice desktop environment to use...That happened with a lot of the ubuntu users who initially didn't care for it either...It's not just the modern (and good looks) aspect of it...i do find it very easy and intuitive to use and also quite productive as well...

Sorry, thought you did try cinnamon....actually i use to use mint myself for a few years (during my early ubuntu years) because i never cared for ubuntu's original layout with the 2 panels and always ended up modifying it to make it like windows...with 1 lower panel and slab style menu...that is why i switched to mint (so i could get that layout by default)...but mint wasn't cinnamon then....while it was gnome 2, it had a lower panel with the very nice linux mint menu (which i think is nicer then the newer cinnamon menu)...

I spent 12 months with ubuntu's original desktop on gnome 2 and never liked it...but i certainly gave it a fair chance! i didn't modify it until after about 4 months or so...and after a year i had ultimately switched to mint...
2 panels takes up to much real estate on the web pages, and i never saw the "efficiency" of a fan out applications menu with no search or favorites option...even a slab menu is far superior to that (in my view)...

I switched back to ubuntu when Unity was introduced....Perhaps it was because that when i left windows (but before discovering linux) i spent about a year running an IMAC...
So that probably made it easier for me to adopt to and appreciate unity...because to me, the unity dock and global menu, does feel very "mac-ish" to me...and i don't think that is a bad thing at all...

[glln0v]

Things about Unity that I really love. these things make using the computer so much more enjoyable and efficient:
1) merging of titlebar into the top-panel when windows are maximized
2) global-menus appearing in top-panel
3) Launcher and its shortcuts (eg, Alt+Grave, Alt+F1, Super+1-0)
4) the Notify popups that inform user of events
5) system-indicators and how applications can't "override" this area like they do in Gnome2 and Windows

--I'm not crazy about the HUD. Also not crazy about the Dash and all the lenses, scopes, and privacy problems it presents. I wish the resources being devoted to the Dash and all its issues was being devoted to enhancing the GUFW firewall instead.

[rrich1974]

@craig10x
very nice post man! thanx!
a lot of people are weeping for gnome 2 without even try unity at least few weeks. they just open the computer, give a glance to the desktop and after a few seconds cone to the conclusion that unity is crap. it is already two years since the unity launching date......gnome 2 is dead.

[Gyokuro]

Even the classic mode of Gnome 3.8 do not bring back the good old feel of Gnome 2 - it is slow. The only advantage of Gnome 3 is that is using less memory as Unity.

[iamkuriouspurpleoranj]

You can make Mint with MATE identical to Gnome 2. Just remove the Mint menu and add the other menu and move the taskbar to the top.

[Gyokuro]

Thanks and I have played with Mint but I had problems with it: no alternative installer and the GUI installer is unable to create a LVM setup (I can do this via a shell but that is not comfortable) maybe next Mint release have an updated installer with LVM support. Otherwise it's interesting and alternatives are always welcome.

[teacher.japan]

The "Ubuntu Spyware" thing is just FUD, but unfortunately the FUD is working.

Any mainstream web browser sends more personal info to sites you visit, than Unity sends to Amazon. And when I thought about it, I realised that Unity can find local items when you only type a portion of what you are looking for, which most of the time is a program or document. I don't think Amazon expected to harvest information, but if they did, they would be bitterly disappointed now.

If you install a browser that harvests that information(and you let it), then it's your fault. You are choosing an application, it's your choice.

In this case the very base OS is doing it to you, without giving you a heads up or a choice. Yes, we can all remove it at will but having such a thing integrated with the OS is not something I like (keep mind, I said "I", which means it's a personal opinion).

Regardless, I think this conversation is turning out to be fanboyish in nature. I didn't want to get in a distro-war.
Doesn't make sense really when it's a matter of personal opinion.

Some people think Unity is mordern, some think it's ugly, some think Ubuntu is heading in the right direction, some don't, some call it spyware and others call it a means of generating financial revenue.

To each his own.

[iamkuriouspurpleoranj]

^Yeah it really does my nut in, the way I'm constantly forced to install Ubuntu against my will.

There really is no difference between choosing to use an OS that collects data about your usage and choosing to use a browser that collects data about your usage. Or if there is, I'd like to hear it. The distinction between offline and online that some commentators have made seems like a legal defence argument Gary Glitter might have used: "I didn't 'download' the images, m'lud. I was just 'viewing' them on-line"

"Fanboyish"? Swapnil, is that you?

[craig10x]

Again...i would have to point out (for the millionth time...lol) that the 2 off switches in "privacy" completely turn off ALL online search activities...so again, it's a non issue...and anyone who says they don't use unity because of "shopping lenses" is apparently too lazy to spend 5 seconds to switch the buttons off..I turn mine off as i rather do my amazon searching ON amazon's website...and i instead make my contributions to the advancement of ubuntu by making direct donations to it...Mark specified that while turned on by default, he will ALWAYS provide those off switches for those who want not to participate...

In the case of using Google Chrome...i simply LOVE the browser and i like the features it provides over Chromium or it's other totally open source variations...so, the target ads i get are not a big issue to me...i don't use ad blockers and i would see ads anyway...so the fact they use the input to target them is, in my mind, also a non issue...

Not everyone likes unity, but for many who have given it a fair chance, often turn around about it after a while a enjoy what it offers (that happened to me)...those that still don't like it after a fair trial (or those that just don't want to give it a fair trial) always have many other options they can use...but i feel ubuntu was very wise going with unity as it's "mass" desktop environment...and i have spent lots of time with windows 8...and unity is FAR easier to use and so much more intuitive then that is...I do like windows 7 though...

[Perfect Storm]

This thread is now running in circles while beating a dead horse with an ugly stick. The OP got his input he asked for.

Thread closed.