[Ubuntu-PH] SJVN reports that "Ubuntu changes its desktop from GNOME to Unity"

Tue Oct 26 23:36:52 UTC 2010

>:: My question is, why Unity? Why not gnome3? Other than the fact that 
>it is not yet "released" quality… Unity is good for netbooks, that I'm 
>full support. 

My understanding is that according to the article, "Unity" will be customized for desktop purposes, and that according to Mark Shuttleworth, he was expecting multi-touch interfaces in the future and the utouch module is deeply integrated in the Unity shell. 

>:: But regardless, I'm not against Unity-desktop as default. My concern 
>is coming from the marketing/sales side of it. We geeks can install 
>Unity easily, the non-geeks, as I've said, doesn't think the way you and 
>I think. And then the question, is it time? Couldn't it have waited 
>until 11.10 or after the next LTS? 

11.04 is the target release version. Nobody can answer that question except from the Ubuntu folks.

>:: But regardless, I'm not against Unity-desktop as default. My concern 
>is coming from the marketing/sales side of it. We geeks can install 
>Unity easily, the non-geeks, as I've said, doesn't think the way you and 
>I think. And then the question, is it time? Couldn't it have waited 
>until 11.10 or after the next LTS? 

>:: Oh, and since you're a team member :p My gripe with Unity (as 
>out-of-the-box) is a locked panel. I'm sure it will be unlocked for the 
>desktop? Or not? (Again for netbooks it is understandable…) 

No, I am not a team member. Too early to comprehend on what should the behavior of Unity at the time of 11.04 release. Their promise is there will be another Unity for the desktop and other for the netbooks. I believe the difference is not that big.

>:: Not sure about that, I didn't even know there were new ones again. I 
>actually care less about the attacks on Canonical. Canonical is there 
>and it is for the good of the Ubuntu product, so let them attack 
>Canonical all they want, sooner or later they will see the value of 
>Canonical being there at the back and at the top of Ubuntu. 

>:: Also, I don't quite got the idea about Canonical being a mere 
>"packaing" company. What was that all about? 

I stand corrected, my mistake, after I read from some comments they are very good at packaging/integration arena.
The accusation is "marketing organization masquerading as an engineering organization."
http://www.google.com/search?q=ubuntu+empire+strikes+back&hl=en&ned=us&tab=nw
Not quite new. 

>:: Meh, I did not say it was anybody's fault, and not even talking about 
>whose fault it was ^_^ I was in fact in favor of Ubuntu there, 
>re-positioning Ubuntu from being just another distro with a Linux OS to 
>being "the Ubuntu" or should I say, "the OS".

Forgive me about that. I assume that when you customize Ubuntu for Windows users, Gnome or Ubuntu's Gnome is not that good enough for Windows users. The key is to educate them the ways of Linux. As I stated and this is my experience, Windows users like what we have here doesn't care much of the top and bottom panels of Gnome as long as they can "print", "share", and "run" MS office. At least Ubuntu looks just like what it is = with a Unix-based shell. Any Windows user who once use other distro with a Gnome desktop will quickly identify Ubuntu with Linux. Try that with the distros being customized to look like Windows, and those users will expect that it will behave as Windows, and if it doesn't they will junk it and say it is broken.

>:: One day. And for that one day to arrive, our net connection quality 
>and reliability should be at par with our northern neighbors. :) 

And the price? If our quality sucks, how about the cost of paying broadband connection? Is it competitive to our neighbors paying the same speed?
Monopoly is another story to tell.

>:: I hope so. And that "transition" period will be a very long one. 
>Our own country alone is far from being ready to go web-based, and even 
>more far to go cloud-based. 

Except for heavy games from most Internet Cafes and open/ office works, almost 99% percent of computer activity is the web. Facebook, online games, online research, online books, online *, etc. etc. This was my experience with a few computers for an NGO with Ubuntu installed as an OS. Users are all young people.  It maybe long, but I'm crossing my fingers on what the Chrome OS will bring on the table. And I think Canonical also have this vision.

>:: Now it is easier if I'm present, I can switch it, voila. But 
>online? Like today, I am talking and so far convinced two people to 
>download Ubuntu and test it out, just try it. And these two are doing 
>it not for themselves but for their parents who are much more _not_ 
>technologically wired. I can't even bein to imagine how they would have 
>reacted if the desktop that they will see is something else that they 
>are not accustomed to. 

It is almost impossible to convert a Windows power user to use Linux but it is always easy to get people who are not use to working with computers to use Linux immediately.

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