[Bradford] Fwd: Ubuntu

[Brian A]

On my main desktop I run Ubuntu 12.04.2 with GNOME 3 desktop and docky. OK,
I could use Unity and just not bother using the Unity menu - but I like
certain aspects of GNOME 3. I like the 'hot corner' which brings up all the
windows I have open and then I do whatever I want with them. I like the
idea of GNOME extensions also.

There is an Ubuntu Community that is good for mutual advantage in that help
is at hand for people who get problems. I think Canonical has proved to be
less and less Community orientated. Maybe they do listen a bit though. I
remember talking to Robbie from Canonical sometime last year, before I knew
who he worked for, about what I didn't like about Unity and what I did like
about GNOME 3. Whilst I am not suggesting that my conversation created any
change, it is representative of the opinion of some of the Community - now,
I'm told, GNOME 3 is included as an option in more recent builds - not in
12.04.2. So, Canonical may have done this partially for their own ends -
maybe they have put in some of their own customisation - I don't know. I
use 12.04.2 and have installed GNOME 3 myself.

I stay with Ubuntu because most of my experience is with that Distro. I
have been tempted to move to Mint but I only have that on an old laptop and
I don't like a Windows-like menu - even so, I hardly use menus as I use
Docky mostly. I have worked with RHEL builds, like Fedora, when compelled
to, but there is a big difference in the experience in working with Fedora
compared to Ubuntu. It is just so much harder to install stuff - so often
things don't work for various reasons. There is an assumption, by SOME, who
work with RHEL, that as RHEL is so widely used and accepted as an
Enterprise server, that it follows that Fedora or CentOS must be the
desktop distro to go for. I don't think those same people have taken a
serious look at Ubuntu, where they would see how much headway has been made
on usability by Canonical. So whatever may be said about Unity I maintain
that the Ubuntu base, ignoring the choice of desktop, is far better than
CentOS and Fedora. I am sure there will be people who think contrary to my
view, it all comes down to personal experience and perception.
Is the Ubuntu Communty/Canonical relationship ideal - no it isn't. They
could make an Apple type move with the licencing of some of their software,
making it less attractive to people like myself. Where I would move to I
don't know but it wouldn't be in the Fedora direction.
Even so I  would prefer even Fedora to Windows any day because there are so
many things I dislike about Windows and Microsoft.

I don't believe in convergence in the way Ubuntu have painted it. I think
it is best to have a similar base and then have an interface that suits the
platform. Many dislike Unity because it seems like a mobile interface on a
desktop. I don't think that there is an interface that suits all platforms.
I think that makes me to be of a similar opinion to John.

The Ubuntu mobile phone project can't totally fail in that people have
pledged their money for a mobile phone. Doubtless Canonical have had this
costed in China somewhere and will build it. The concept might even take
off generally . The advantage being that it will be high spec and can be
used as a desktop - even so, if I were to use it I wouldn't be using Unity
on my desktop.
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