ubuntu-us-ohio team mailing list archive

[Josh Gould <joshuaegould@xxxxxxxxx>]

Right now, I'm using Gnome Classic.  I would prefer Xubuntu, but am afraid
that trying to make the switch (again) will cause more issues than it
solves.  I have a fairly new (read released this March) MacBook Pro, that
has a fair amount of hardware that has taken some very careful tweaking of
things to get to work properly.  My wireless is still iffy, but that's
because the chipset in this model is only used in this model of the MacBook
and no where else that anyone has seen yet. Unity looks nice, but after
using it for a little bit, it started to drive me nuts. I need to install
the xubuntu-desktop package, and haven't been still long enough to do so
yet.

If I boot up using the Xubutu disk, I don't get things like keyboard
backlighting, and I have no clue what package is responsible for that. (It's
not pommed, I've tried that one under a pure Xubuntu install, and it didn't
help...) I haven't sat down and tried to figure out what package is
responsible for keyboard backlighting.  I'm having issues with bluetooth,
but I think ti's for the same reasons that the wireless doesn't work yet.

I've noticed that I'm using Linux more than I am the Mac OS at this point.
Knowing what I know now, and having effectively made the switch from the Mac
OS to Ubuntu, I would have gone with a machine from System76... (or one that
has more driver support under Ubuntu...)

Josh

On Sun, May 8, 2011 at 5:16 PM, Scott Randby <srandby@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> On 05/08/2011 12:42 PM, skellat@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> > I use Xubuntu at home and it is used in the course of producing The
> Burning Circle, our podcast at http://ohio.ubuntu-us.org/burningcircle, so
> it is fine.
> >
> > How specifically is Unity throwing you helter-skelter?
>
> Since you asked, I'm happy to explain. But first, I want it to be clear
> that I'm okay with the change to Unity because there are so many other
> options out there for those who choose not to use it. I've seen some
> really vicious criticisms of Unity that are directed at individuals
> instead of software and I don't want to be part of that.
>
> First, some background. The first computer I ever owned was a Macintosh
> SE which I purchased around 1988. I was a Mac user exclusively for years
> after that. I was happy when OS X came along because it really opened up
> the system, but Apple became more and more restrictive and less user
> friendly as time passed. Around 3 years ago I'd had enough and made the
> switch to Ubuntu. I chose Ubuntu because it was easy, it worked, and I
> could customize it easily.
>
> Now Unity comes along and it makes me feel like I'm back with Apple. My
> current system is set up so that I see only those things I want to see.
> But when I go to the Dash on Unity I see only what it wants me to see
> and I can't change it. I want the Dash to show only the applications
> that I use with the option of showing those I don't use. And I don't
> want it showing available software I haven't installed. If I desire
> other software, then I should be able to search for it using the Dash,
> but I'm an Emacs user and don't need other software.
>
> Putting application menus on the top panel instead of in application
> windows is a decision I don't understand. Maybe this is good for a
> netbook (though I don't like it on my netbook), but it doesn't work well
> at all when using a large screen. When I'm working on a large screen, I
> don't want to move my eyes away from the application window when I'm
> using an application, but Unity forces me to do just that when I need to
> use a menu (though I have menu bars turned off in Emacs).
>
> The Launcher is a huge problem for me. The decision to use the <Super>
> key to show the Launcher hurts because I use that key to switch between
> workspaces. Anyway, I'm used to creating my own primitive launcher and
> attaching it to the top panel. I can't do that with Unity. In addition,
> adding self-compiled applications (I always compile Emacs from source)
> to the Launcher requires more steps than before, and I have no idea how
> to ensure such applications are recognized by the Dash.
>
> As I see it, the fundamental problem with Unity is its lack of
> customization options. This is a serious design flaw, very serious. The
> ability to customize easily should be one of the primary considerations
> of desktop designers. Adding customizations options later is a
> fundamental mistake. The Compiz Settings Manager should be included by
> default at the minimum. It is fine to set things up one way for
> beginners, but everyone has different preferences and desires and, this
> being Linux, they should be able to set things up according to those
> preferences as much as possible.
>
> I've read that studies were done to determine what most people prefer in
> regard to such things as the placement of the menubar of an application.
> So fine, the mean preference was determined. But what is the standard
> deviation? I suspect that it is large and that most people would like
> something that is at the very least slightly different. I've also read
> that efficiency studies were done regarding certain operations. But
> efficiency does not equal usability. You can make people work
> efficiently but you can't make them like it.
>
> When I am able to customize Unity so that it isn't Unity anymore, then I
> might use it. But Xubuntu is looking really good right now.
>
> Scott Randby
>
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