[jaybill]

When I first read that you were a "long time linux user" that started with it in 2004, I chuckled, then I realized that 2004 was actually six years ago (a totally legit "long time") and that I am really old. :)

I'll give you that the way Gnome 2 was set up by default in Ubuntu was pretty annoying. I also spent some time "moving in" after a fresh install. I did, however, find that I could get it just the way I wanted it before too long, something I've been unable to do with Unity.

Here's the thing: Ubuntu's primary user base (to this point) is PC users. I'm all for a bright future where Ubuntu runs on phones and tablets and toasters, but seriously, where are they? What problem does Unity solve for PC users that a more "traditional" desktop metaphor doesn't? I can't get past the fact that it's obtuse and annoying solely for the sake of novelty.

To each their own, though. The magic of Linux is that there are plenty of options. Windows users, sadly, don't have that luxury, which is what the original article was pointing out.

[freehunter]

Yeah, 2004 was still kind of the "dark ages" of Linux: where the other OSes had moved on but Linux was still mainly sticking with the text-based install and "network drivers need to be downloaded" phase (in my experience).

I will give you that Unity suffers from a lack of customization (I'm willing to give Canonical the benefit of the doubt that it's still a WIP). Unity/Gnome3 is exactly what I've been trying to customize Gnome2 to be like for the past 6 years.

[jaybill]

Oh, dear $DEITY, I remember that. Getting the wireless to work meant spending the whole weekend recompiling the kernel and crossing your fingers.