I have seen the future, and it is GNOME 3

“Today I finally managed to get GNOME Shell installed so I could
get a preview of what is to come on the Linux desktop (at least
through the eyes of GNOME). This new GNOME will arrive sometime
this year (2010) and will, I promise you, change the way you use
your desktop. Finally someone has looked at the current desktop
metaphor and said “It’s over!” Think about it,
the current paradigm has been in play since, when, Windows 95?
Earlier you say? CDE? Let’s stick with Windows 95, because
that really solidified the whole “taskbar, start button,
icons, notification try” metaphor in the eyes of the
public.

“Well, public, that is about to change – drastically.

“GNOME 3 is different. Very different. Gone is the start button,
to be replaced by the Activities button. No more are you fumbling
around in menus to find what you need. What you will have is a very
streamlined, sleek, and sexy desktop that is sure to make your
computing life easier. Oh of course there will be those that say
“If it isn’t broke…” Well, I am one of
those who will first claim that it is, in fact,
“broke”. The current desktop that most everyone uses is
klunky, kludgy, and ugly.”

Complete
Story