Ubuntu’s “risky step” of standardizing on Unity instead of GNOME

“OK, it’s finally happening. For a couple of years, the standard
for desktops has been edging towards mobile devices with every new
netbook interface. Now, with Ubuntu’s decision to replace GNOME
with its own Unity desktop, the shift away from the workstation
standard has actually arrived.

“But while the decision may be in keeping with the times, it’s
still every bit the “risky step” that Mark Shuttleworth described
it as when he made the announcement earlier this week.

“In making the announcement, Shuttleworth focused on technical
issues. The GNOME project, he said, had made some design decisons
that were not in keeping with what Ubuntu wanted to do. He also
mentioned the greater ease of supporting one desktop, rather than
two.”

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