Machine A: oldest machine I am using, running Ubuntu 10.10 fine, Final 11.04 won’t run Unity (can’t do OpenGL) and when it goes back to classic mode the menus first don’t display quite correctly and then they disappear completely and flash on and off. Unusable. Installed Fedora Beta, Gnome 3 runs, machine stable, looks pretty, is a Beta but off Ubuntu on this one. Update chime for Fedora is very pretty, I like it.
Machine B: Had same problems on Ubuntu Final Beta as “A” (see above) with Menus and graphic displays. It was my first install of Fedora 15 Beta to play with Gnome 3 and everything is working great. Not going back to Ubuntu on this one as drivers simply don’t seem stable for graphics.
Machine C: newest machine (non-laptop) that I am running. Running Ubuntu 10.10 fine, 11.04 installs, Unity, etc… proprietary drivers pops up quickly and I install the NVidia “recommended” and now Unity won’t work, part of it displays but nothing clicks, works, it simply hangs (with white screen). Machine is dual screen, that configuration was completed on delivered driver and it went fine, but on updated driver I now have a non-operational machine. Assume that small fix by NVidia will make everything nice in a day or two, but it does mean a complete reinstall and one surmises it could have been done prior to this. I may reinstall this one in a few days, although I will check the Fedora release schedule as well.
Overall, I am not going to get into the Gnome 3, KDE 4, or Unity debate on whether upgrades are useful, I will learn, and I suspect enjoy them once I get my system monitor tray add-on working, or find screenlets, or whatever they will be now.
I will say that Ubuntu switching to its own interface and NOT Gnome 3 or KDE 4 is not successful for older machines where it heritage originates. If not on underpowered machines, then what? Mind you, I certainly don’t mind clicking on Classic mode, and it does detect it and switch automatically, but Classic mode simply doesn’t work anymore on these machines.
I will NOT be using Ubuntu on my production equipment, although I will reinstall in on high speed desktop after a few weeks (using Windows until then on this one).
Final Score: 11.04 is a non starter and I assume with complaints over Unity it will be awhile till operational details are filtered out of nonsense of “why doesn’t my computer work like 1968”.