Unity desktop in Ubuntu

[FrankBlourtango]

I think it sucks. I'm just sayin.

[jlany]

You're not alone with that opinion!!!

[happybunny]

upvote.

[cybertron]

This Unity/Gnome 3 stuff is making me think the KDE 4 disaster wasn't actually so bad. At least in that case you had a buggy DE with some potential. Everything I hear about this stuff says that it's a fundamental design problem that isn't going to be fixed by some dedicated bug hunting.

On the plus side, I like that people are looking at alternatives now. I felt for a while like Gnome was becoming the de facto choice and I have never been a big fan, so if this helps uptake of other options it's good as far as I'm concerned.

On the minus side, this is yet another black eye for Linux on the desktop, which irritates me to no end. Gnome and KDE are arguably the most important projects for attracting users because they're the first things everyone sees, and they've both seriously dropped the ball in the past couple of years.

[happybunny]

The problem as I see it (for what that's worth), is they seem to be making 1 user interface for tiny hand held smart phones AND giant 52" plasma TV's.

I don't know why. They should have different "modes" for different devices.

I get that they want one common interface so you can go from device to device (i think?) but that is ridiculous.

[blackbelt_jones]

The thing where you have to maximize the window to get to the top toolbar? That may work for a tablet, but that makes no sense on the Desktop. If they can address these problems, I think Unity has potential. I like the idea of a minimal interface that isn't supposed to be configured. I respect KDE for striving to give the user the most possible choices, but KDE4 is SO configurable that it feels less like a tool for getting things done than an apartment that needs to be furnished and decorated with widgets and themes.

Ubuntu seems to have backed itself into a corner. Unity is an interesting idea, but it's bound to be unpopular as a default. Unfortunately, with Kubuntu and Xubuntu and Lubuntu already out there, Ubuntu has limited choices for a new default desktop.

[cybertron]

I respect KDE for striving to give the user the most possible choices, but KDE4 is SO configurable that it feels less like a tool for getting things done than an apartment that needs to be furnished and decorated with widgets and themes.

That's only a problem for those of us who can't resist endless tweaking. 99% of the world will never know those things exist.

[blackbelt_jones]

By the way, Gnome 3 is the worst thing ever. I can't turn off the hibernate mode, and since my computer doesn't have a hibernate mode, it just turns off my machine after a couple of hours, and there's nothing I can do but reboot. Totally useless.

Two things I really don't like about about Gnome are that it makes decisions for the user, and it makes bad decisions.

[FrankBlourtango]

This is such CRAP. I can't get to any of the software that is installed. I download a program. OK where is it? to me this makes Ubuntu pretty much un usable. Real great job guys. THIS UNITY INTERFACE S U C K S !!!!!!!

[infiniphunk]

if you head over to http://distrowatch.com you will see that Mint is now ahead of Ubuntu in popularity.
That's because it's essentially the same OS as Ubuntu based on Debian but still offering the user the choice of keeping the Gnome2 fork "Mate"

I've tried to have a positive outlook on Unity and the more I used it the more I just said "no thanks".

[FrankBlourtango]

I'm grudgingly figuring things out. I don't understand why you would force an interface on people like this. This is so much like the unexplainable and tedious "improvements" that Microsoft makes in Windows and Office. This is an added level of tedium. Anyway.

I'll quit whining when you explain to me how this is an improvement over Gnome. Waaaaaaaaaa <sniff>

[stumbles]

That's only a problem for those of us who can't resist endless tweaking. 99% of the world will never know those things exist.

To this day I am still befuddled why folks complain or consider KDEs "over configurability" to be a hindrance and why such things need hidden from ordinary or "the average user (whatever that is)". Such thinking is asinine. Its akin to placing the video input switch on a receiver inside requiring me to remove the cover just to change video sources.

Having used KDE since its 2.0 days till present, there has never been an instance of the system settings panel popping up and gotten in my way to configure something before using it.

I think it is as you say; those who complain about its abundance of configuration options and ease of access is only a problem for those who cannot resist tinkering. At least KDE provides a "Default" button.

[stumbles]

By the way, Gnome 3 is the worst thing ever. I can't turn off the hibernate mode, and since my computer doesn't have a hibernate mode, it just turns off my machine after a couple of hours, and there's nothing I can do but reboot. Totally useless.

Two things I really don't like about about Gnome are that it makes decisions for the user, and it makes bad decisions.

Cannot turn off hibernate? Now that would suck.

Caveat: I have yet to try Gnome3... not sure that I really want to waste the time.

[cybertron]

To this day I am still befuddled why folks complain or consider KDEs "over configurability" to be a hindrance and why such things need hidden from ordinary or "the average user (whatever that is)". Such thinking is asinine. Its akin to placing the video input switch on a receiver inside requiring me to remove the cover just to change video sources.

Having used KDE since its 2.0 days till present, there has never been an instance of the system settings panel popping up and gotten in my way to configure something before using it.

I think it is as you say; those who complain about its abundance of configuration options and ease of access is only a problem for those who cannot resist tinkering. At least KDE provides a "Default" button.

In fact, one of my biggest complaints when KDE 4 released was that they removed too much functionality. It's gotten better, but to my knowledge it still isn't possible to tell it to span a wallpaper over multiple monitors like you could in 3. Not a huge deal, but useful when you have panoramic images. Ah well, at least it isn't Unity.

[stumbles]

In fact, one of my biggest complaints when KDE 4 released was that they removed too much functionality. It's gotten better, but to my knowledge it still isn't possible to tell it to span a wallpaper over multiple monitors like you could in 3. Not a huge deal, but useful when you have panoramic images. Ah well, at least it isn't Unity.

Yes I think that is still lacking in KDE4 and I would like such an option.

And yes, the KDE folks could have communicated clearer that 4.0 was not intended at that time to be a direct replacement for KDE3. That's something the distros took upon themselves.

In the end though, KDE4 still continues to make its configuration easily available to the user. For whatever KDE4 may still lack they are making progress while adhering to the later.