Why is this so hard on everyone? There is Xubuntu which provides a fantastic interface. There is also Kubuntu if you are just jumping on the Ubuntu band wagon and don't care about Qt vs GTK, etc. You always have the option to install classic GNOME and this is easy to do. In the time it took him to write that blog post, he could have done it 10 times.
Look, Unity is not a great choice for everyone, clearly. It took me a while to get used to it, after using Xubuntu for 4+ years exclusively. But this is not Windows or Mac OS X. There is nothing preventing you from trying an entirely different environment that is only a single apt-get away. You have choices and if the default does not suite you, change it.
EDIT: To answer my own question, perhaps it is a failing of Canonical. Maybe they should do a better job explaining the different types of desktops you will get with different flavors of Ubuntu, instead of just telling you that "Ubuntu" == latest Unity-based UI, and others are on the fringes.
> You have choices and if the default does not suite you, change it.
Why do so many techies feel like Ubuntu owes them something, and when they don't like a design choice, it's a personal insult? I almost like Unity, but I think I like the direction gnome 3 is going better. No big deal, I can use either, and I don't have to rant about it.
(that username sounds familiar - Hi from Boston ;)
Look, Unity is not a great choice for everyone, clearly. It took me a while to get used to it, after using Xubuntu for 4+ years exclusively. But this is not Windows or Mac OS X. There is nothing preventing you from trying an entirely different environment that is only a single apt-get away. You have choices and if the default does not suite you, change it.
EDIT: To answer my own question, perhaps it is a failing of Canonical. Maybe they should do a better job explaining the different types of desktops you will get with different flavors of Ubuntu, instead of just telling you that "Ubuntu" == latest Unity-based UI, and others are on the fringes.