**This article was published previous to this date**
Over the weekend I decided to replace my install of Ultimate Edition 2.9 for something leaner. After considering different distros, I settled on Ubuntu 11. Mint was shot down because I have no prior experience with it. Fedora was a strong front runner, but I wanted something that leaned more toward desktop usability. Debian and Slackware were too trimmed back for my purposes. Since I have been essentially using Ubuntu 10.10, Ubuntu 11 it would be. What a mistake it would turn out to be.
Let me begin by saying I should have dome my homework on this release, but failed to do so. I ASSUMED that 11 would still use the Gnome 2 interface, offer Synaptic as package manager, have Open Office installed by default, and evolution would continue to be my Email program. I ASSUMED that I would be able to easily find my around and tweak my system as easily as in the past. So much for assumptions. After "getting to know" the left side navigation buttons and fumbling around the Unity (or Gnome 3) interface without joy, I loaded a copy of Ubuntu 10.10 64 bit I had stashed in my disk case. After stripping out some programs and installing others, my system is lean and fast again.
Some people like the new interface, and other distros have used it with some success. It doesn't suit my needs. I don't have the time to re-learn the OS on my main computer, especially for something as superficial as eye candy. I feel like Ubuntu developers could have implemented it differently. Jumping from Gnome 2 to Gnome 3 is a HUGE change. The type of change to learn on a secondary computer before installing on a workhorse. It's inevitable Linux users will have to pick up Gnome 3. When I get ready to make that change, it won't be with Ubuntu.
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