Unity

This is Part 9 of a ten-part review of Ubuntu Linux.  The series is designed to give you a rough idea what it's like to try Linux.  It's not a how-to, and it's not a blow-by-blow recount of my experience.  For your convenience, links for each part of this series are located at the end of the article.

The first version of Linux I installed contained the Unity interface. Veteran users don't seem to like it much; I guess that it's a fairly radical departure from the previous interface. I thought that it was okay, but it was also fairly limited. Adding more icons to the Unity bar on the left was easy enough, but something was missing, and I still can't say exactly what it was. I decided to try a couple of other toolbars, and I settled on the Cairo Dock. It's look and feel is vaguely reminiscent of Windows, but it's definitely not a clone, and I appreciate Cairo Dock for what it is... a launching point for how I work with Linux files, folders and applications. I tried the Unity bar for a couple of weeks before deciding that it wasn't for me. I used Cairo for a week or so to determine that it does meet my needs, and the Unity interface has been hidden ever since.

I should clarify that I've been trying Linux in a relative vacuum. I didn't find out anything about Unity, how new it is, or what veteran Linux users think of it until I made my own decision to try something else. In fact, this has been my Linux experience overall. I've stayed away from Linux forums, except to find answers to specific questions, and I spoke to one person about Linux, which was only to discuss my aforementioned printer issue. But I'm digressing...

If you're avoiding Ubuntu because of Unity, don't let that stop you. Unity isn't exactly bad, it was just missing something. And there are plenty of alternatives out there.
Part I, The Grand Experiment

Part II, So Many Flavors

Part III, I'm Kind of Slow to Commit

Part IV,  ASmall, Short-Term Commitment

Part V, Diving Below the Surface

Part VI, A Different Animal

Part VII, Okay, It's Pretty, but What Can it Do?

Part VIII, Okay, I'm Committed, But It's Not all Puppies and Rainbows

Part IX, Unity

Part X, Parting Words