I've recently spent a couple of months using Gnome 3 in Fedora and a few weeks using Gnome 2 in Debian Squeeze, Now I'm using Gnome 3 again in Debian Wheezy. Switching from the new to the old and back has given me a good idea of what I like or don't like in Gnome 3, and what makes life easier or more difficult using it.
Overall, I much prefer using Gnome 3, which puts me at odds with a lot of people who have written about it. What I love most is the minimalist elegance of layout. Gnome 2 just looks 20th century while Gnome 3 looks 21st.
I have loved the Gnome 3 shell since trying it out in Ubuntu three years ago. It's a funky way of seeing what windows you have open without taking up space for a second panel at the bottom of the screen. I've never missed the minimise button, although I can see that the bottom panel is an efficient way to switch between applications (as long as it's not too full). The Alt Tab switcher in Gnome is a far nicer way to do the same thing; my only criticism here is that the Alt Tab combination is awkward: I'd like to be able to bring up the switcher with the mouse, perhaps by right clicking the Activities button?
I was less enthusiastic about the applications launcher in Gnome 3. As somebody pointed out, the paradigm is a throwback to the days when everybody had their desktops covered in application icons. However, what I've come to appreciate is the search function: type the first few letters of a application and you're usually left with just the launcher icon for the application you require. When I came back to Gnome 2, finding an application through the menu system actually felt quite unwieldy.
On the other hand, finding system settings in an icon-based paradigm seems less efficient. Maybe it's just memories of Windows Control Panel.
I like the new taxonomy of icons in the Gnome 3 Activities Window. Gnome 3 has three separate areas where the icons can go, with a
rationale for each: applications in the dash on the left, system
settings in the system tray at the top right, and notifications at the
bottom of the screen. At lot of Gnome 3 extensions seem to be trying to get away from this taxonomy and back to the old Gnome 2 paradigm (which itself dated back to early versions of Windows) but stuffing the top panel full of application and notification icons. To me that's a retrogressive step, and I hope more users come round to the new paradigm. I think it will help when more Gnome 3 applications use the Gnome 3 notifications areas consistently and as they are intended to be used.
There's also some work that the Gnome 3 project needs to do on notifications: new email and IM notifications for example need to be permanently visible so that if you're away from the computer for a few minutes you don't miss them.
This is why I like Gnome 3 more and it makes life easier, which is why I prefer it. I missed Gnome 3 when I was back in Squeeze, and a year seemed a long time to wait to see Gnome 3 in Debian Stable. My present set up seems ideal. I can use Gnome 3, whilst always having Gnome 2 in Squeeze to fall back on. I hope more people come to feel the same way, even if many Gnome users currently don't.
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Thanks for this post. For what its worth, I have had a similar experience, tried KDE for a few months, then Gnome 3 for the last 3 months. I have found myself liking Gnome 3 more than I expected.
ReplyDeleteI find I get more done due to fewer distractions, and I don't have to hunt my way through overly complex menus. On the downside I really hate flitting to the top left with the mouse, then to the right to select a desktop. I agree about the notifications and online accounts - there is more work to be done - but even here I like the direction Gnome 3 is taking. And overall I like the look of the deskto
p - its clean and has a modern look.
Cheers, Joe.
Funny that I had the same expierience. Since Gnome3 landed on Wheezy I waited to see it getting better and better; first launch was a small drawback but I apriciated the new look and feel. (o: And some weeks ago I had a look on my old computer which is currently running Debian stable and it felt like time travel to the past. But my Gnome2 configuration is not far away from Gnome3; it's just looks dated.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I don't use nautilus to handle the desktop. This and the application menu in comaparison to the activities are the main differences. I still like the old way and I am excited about the new ways that look good. (o:
I honestly like being able to ignore people (IMs and emails) just like I can ignore other notifications. I always tend to say people should recognize that the environment is non-instrusive, and that it won't punch them in the face to get them to talk to someone.
ReplyDeleteOf course, a reasonable solution would be to keep the chat notification on the screen until the mouse or keyboard is seen as being active. If nothing is moving and no one is typing, it's safe to assume they're either away from the computer, or viewing/listening to something. Of course, this would be quite annoying during a movie, but maybe we could make an exception for full-screen applications, and make the notification come back shortly after restoring to a window.
I think this solution has actually been discussed at some length on Bugzilla and may be implemented.
It's good to see another user who understands the rationale behind GNOME 3's interaction patterns, and can see their value in an objective manner.
I too feel that gnome 3 is a pretty good desktop paradigm.I don't know why so much of hatred is directed towards it. I probably adapted to GNOME 3 quicker because I always had the panel or task bar whatever one wants to call it at the top of the screen.How come people are fine with huge fugly icons on their smart phones phones but not on their desktops.I absolutely adore the activities based window switching and the zooming option is awesome
ReplyDeleteWhenever I give the Gnome Shell a try, I quicly get the urge to break something, usually when I get lost in trying to find out which of my various instances of different programmes ( (of sorry, they are called apps now) I am looking for, everything moves when opening the overview, which makes me seasick, I don't have a list which programme is open on which of the automatically generated desktops, I need to type much much more to find what I am looking for, the left side dock is so awful ( all docks are awful for me) and everything looks like a user interface for a kids toy device, not for a productivity desktop computer. I simply hate it, just like I hate smartphones or tablet toy computers.
ReplyDelete"However, what I've come to appreciate is the search function: type the first few letters of a application and you're usually left with just the launcher icon for the application you require. When I came back to Gnome 2, finding an application through the menu system actually felt quite unwieldy."
ReplyDeleteYou can also do this on Gnome 2 using Gnome Do. Just open it (Super + space), type the first few letters and press enter.
I have one single questions for all you people,please say since when have you been using Linux with Gnome 2.x.x ?, months,years..
ReplyDeletePlease this is very important
Give a real answer
"I have one single questions for all you people,please say since when have you been using Linux with Gnome 2.x.x ?, months,years..
ReplyDeletePlease this is very important
Give a real answer."
It might help if you said why this question is so important that you had to register for a Blogger account right now just to ask it.
Thanks for asking
ReplyDeleteBecause after using a system ( and this can be can apply to almost any thing in life experience ), lets say you are listening to a radio station for more than 10 years, they play the kind of music the you like,you are use to it
Then one day, big changes, new management and now only play organ music ,or something the you dislike.
They keep telling you, get used to it, we may change few things and you will like it...bla bla bla..
The point is the if you have not been listening to that music for so long, you may like the mew music (system)
Because depends in how old it is you experience, you may like or dislike something, it is all base in your experience
The older, the most difficult to change
In other words if you have less than a year using a system you may adapt to a new one but if you have more than 10 years ..and it "works good" for you will be very difficult to adapt, just like the music !!
OK. Well, I've been using Gnome 2 for five years. Enough time for me to be thoroughly familiar with it, but I still prefer Gnome 3. I can't answer for the other commenters who liked Gnome 3 of course.
ReplyDelete