Users Want a Better Unity in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

As I don't like some of the fuctionality in unity I no longer use Ubuntu, I doubt I'm alone.

I changed to Xubuntu because of Unity

You are most certainly NOT alone!

I think people are so ignorant. I don't understand why people are moaning about a distro such as Ubuntu, which gives you an option to run the Classic GNOME desktop once you install the GNOME shell. Screaming and throwing their toys out of the pram, it is pathetic. I like Unity, I confess; sometimes I log on to the classic GNOME shell desktop when I have to and that runs without no problems. Yes I agree the lack of customisation is a problem with Unity, but I like it because of its potential and it is trying to bring something new to the table. This time next year I can imagine the customisation and all the features which will be useful to the 'power user' will by then be there running smoothly. Remember Unity is still a new project, give it time; remember KDE 4 and currently GNOME 3 have had similar problems. If you cannot bare it just install GNOME shell and run Classic and it is back to how you like it.

It just shows some people have to do research before they shout out the rubbish trolling to work up the anti-Unity/Canonical zealots into a frenzy. Some blogs are ill-advised by telling people you are stuck in this walled garden called unity with Classic GNOME gone forever. The people who moan about Unity also moan about GNOME 3, which is funny because when they moan that they are moving to specific distros, they are still getting GNOME 3. Try Xubuntu, or even Kubuntu. No, I think Canonical can be blamed in part as well by not making users aware of the alternatives that are available (And within Unity make the users aware that you have to run Compiz and install and run the Config settings app to make Unity run smoothly, without it Unity is less responsive). BTW, I am no Ubuntu zealot as I use ArchLinux for personal projects. I like to be objective.

after 10.04 its` goodbye ubuntu

Back to Fedora for me.

Goodby ubuntu !!!!

My use of Ubuntu stops at 10.1. Once updates are no longer available for this version, I'll switch to another distro. I will NEVER use that piece of s**t that is Unity.

I remember when people felt like that about:
- ash -> CDE
- dos -> windows 3.11
- windows 3.11 -> Windows 95
- Windows 95/98 -> Windows XP
- Windows xp -> Vista
- gnome 1.x -> gnome 2.0
- gnome 2.x -> gnome 3.0
- kde 3.x -> kde 4.0

I don't think you're really making a valid point. IIRC, some of the transitions you mentioned were very warmly received by users:
DOS --> Win 3.1
Win 3.1 -> Win 95
Win 95 -> Win XP

And some were quite rightly panned by most users:
XP -> Vista
Gnome 2 -> Gnome 3
KDE 3 -> KDE 4.0

My point is that you can't just say "People always hate change, and need time to adapt." (Which I *think* was your point.) There are plenty of cases where new big software releases really are steps backward, and no amount of promotion by the developers can change that.

I, like many, believe Unity and Gnome 3 are such releases. Many of us *have* tried to give Unity a fair chance, and find that it's simply far less useful than Gnome 2.

Perhaps in the fullness of time that can be remedied. But unless Shuttleworth pulls a major coup with 12.04, I'm probably changing distros the next time I can afford the disruption in my computing environment.

True, but keep in mind that many upgrades are "forced", due to previous versions no longer being supported. I'd still be using Windows 98 if it had support, but it wouldn't even install on my current hardware. (First thing I do with a new Linux install is try to make it look like Win98 or 2000. Yeah... I'm weird! )

Dropped Ubuntu because of Unity. Currently using Linux Mint.

How'd we get from "user defined" desktop to "It is here to stay EMBRACE IT!" ? excuse me? Yes we have choices and I am one of many that have moved on but it is very disheartening to read such comments from someone I have so admired and am truly grateful to for Ubuntu in general. Where has the feeling of "ubuntu" gone?

I agree, Ubuntu is worthless as far as I'm concerned and the name Ubuntu is now seriously misapplied and out to change to something more descriptive which catches the new "my way or else you nitwits attitude. Like many others I'm long gone and not interested in Ubuntu's dictates.

Rolling out new functionality in a software product often requires *some* cheer-leading to overcome initial reservations, or to get people to hang in there while you adapt the software based on the wider testing it gets from the general (non-beta-user) public.

I'm concerned that in this case, however, Shuttleworth is sticking to his guns for too long. I think he's confusing the fact that Unity is truly a step back from Gnome 2, with users just being hesitant to change their work habits for something better.

I was a confirmed Ubuntu user, and installed it on many older computers for friends who had horrible Windows problems. Unity is so slow and has such steep system requirements, I do not use it. I have installed PCLinuxOS on some systems, but it's always buggy. Ubuntu is sad sad sad. Xubuntu just does not provide the speed and small memory footprint, but Lubuntu is not too bad, just sparse. I will miss Ubuntu, but hey, I cannot use it anymore, I just can't.

Lubuntu is only sparse when you first install it. I've got a couple of instances running with a whole bunch of different customizations. Truly "Linux the way you want to make it"

I tried Lubuntu 12.04. It works great and NO Unity! It's not as easy to customize as Linux Mint though. I really hate the way Unity makes the screen go black, like the infamous 'UAC' window in Vista. I also hate the transparency that makes everything on my screen blury. Lubuntu doesn't have that. I still prefer Linux Mint with MATE though.

I put quite a bit of time in trying to adopt Unity. I'm going elsewhere. The 11.10 release broke so many things, it's simpler to try something else.

I didn't quite "get it" at first. I mean, I could navigate around, but it was a little more difficult to find things. After 11.10, however (and using it through 11.04), I got the hang of it and really like it. So much so, when I use a different DE (whether KDE, Mac OS X, or Windows), I find myself trying Unity things and feeling frustrated when the DE doesn't respond the way it does with Unity.

I look forward to the further development of this UI.

That's a great attitude to have!

I just find Unity lacking in so many different areas, but, like you stated, newer versions may prove to be successful.

Look at KDE 4 when it first came out. Same comments of abandonment and rejection. But, today, its doing quite well.

Joe

Unity is usable now, far away from perfect or even satisfactory, but will be adopted, sooner or later, by a large portion of Ubuntu users. Of course, there are users that migrate to other distros or flavours of Ubuntu, but for the others, a 12.04 LTS having an Unity that proves itself a hit is a must. The extended support (five years) is another point to consider using Ubuntu.

I downgraded from 11.10 back to 11.04 because, try as I might, I could not get on with Unity.

If it's the only option in future releases, I shall use xfce.

Unity is the main reason I quit using Ubuntu. Gnome 3 and Unity are overly simplistic and allow for less customization. One of the great appeals of any Linux distribution is how much and how easily I can change the desktop environment to suit how I want to use it. This smacks of arrogance to think that Unity is better simply because Shuutleworth says it is. This level of arrogance is one of the things many in the Linux community dislike about Microsoft. Apparently "great" minds do think alike.

You're way off base with Gnome 3, it's absurdly customizable, it uses extensions written in Javascript, it's just so new, there aren't a lot of good ones yet.

Tell Mark Shuttleworth that Unity was the reason I abandoned Ubuntu after many years of use. Maybe it is he who should embrace what his users want, not what he wants them to want.

if that is Mark Shuttleworth's position then it is "good-bye" to Ubuntu from me. Whatever happened to choice? Is the "apple-route"so enticing?

This is horrible news. I will also be using another distribution or DE. It is clear that Unity interface has not undergone any user usability testing.

In many ways Unity is a step forwards, for example, the minimal interface makes best use of the space available. However, the application menu is completely hopeless, and it looks unlikely this will be fixed by 12.04.

I have stopped using Ubuntu on one machine and use Linux Mint. On another machine I have stayed with Ubuntu 10.10. Mark Shuttleworth needs to think about the many users and be responsive to them.
-Joe A.

Linux Mint Debian Edition is the new Ubuntu. Unity is a productivity-sucking, nonsensical, non-customizable mess.

Unity made me switch to Linux Mint on on machine and I'm still on Ubuntu 10.10 on another. I just will not use Unity the way it is now. Mark, start listening to users!

Unity is a bunch of CRAP. Period. HATE it, and I WON'T be going back to Ubuntu as a result. If I had WANTED some CEO to tell me how to use MY computer, I would have stuck with MS or switched to Apple back in 1999 when I moved to Linux. The ARROGANCE of Shuttleworth is more than I want to deal with. He's got Gates syndrome, he thinks he should be the one to determine how WE use our machines. Screw that, and HIM.

If Unity WORKED, it MIGHT be one thing, but I would have bought a Mac if that is what I wanted. I HATE the damned cutsie aspect of this, and I for one will NOT be using Ubuntu again.

I tried out Unity for a week. For the nontechnical, typical computer user, I think Unity is a pretty good desktop. It's fairly simple in its basic operation, which I think is what most "Aunt Tillie the teacher" users want.

Since I'm an engineer and a pretty geeky one at that, I prefer more direct control over my desktop experience. For me, that means KDE 3.5.x (now Trinity, which I compile on my home machine from source). I will use Kubuntu Oneiric (11.10) with KDE 4.7, because it's close enough to giving me what I want in a desktop.

Remember, folks, it's all Free Software. We're free to do something about it if we don't like something. We can use something else, we can compile something else, etc. If your thing's XFce, go fer it. If you prefer Black/FluxBox, go fer it. Heck, if you prefer TWM, great!

When Ubuntu 12.04 comes out, I will again give its Unity desktop a chance. If I like it, I'll stick with it. If not, I'll use another desktop. Let's hope that Kubuntu 12.04 will also be an LTS.

--SYG

Unity Sucks!!! I hated the Netbook version of Ubuntu 10.10 with Unity. So what do they do? They make Unity the default interface for 11.04 and all versions since. Unity is Lame! I stopped using Ubuntu ever since 11.04. Now I use Linux Mint Debian Edition with XFCE. Just say NO to Unity!