"Every time I came back to Unity I grew to like the interface more"
This is telling. I empathize with the author. Here is what he is saying: I really, really want to like Unity. I'm giving it a huge benefit of the doubt, and yet I simply cannot stomach it. I am compelled to go elsewhere. It seems to be getting better but I still cannot use it.
This entire blog post reads like someone trying desperately to convince themselves something of which they don't truly believe.
I think we can separate the design and the performance when evaluating Unity. The design is something innovative and gets a lot of things right. It doesn't mean its the desktop environment of everyone's choice, but it can still be an effective one. Then, there is the performance, which has been getting better, and it may catch on. Second, sometimes I've been annoyed with Unity, but I do like using it most of the time, some comments have shown a similar reaction. A lot of times the reasons I don't like using Ubuntu can be for potentially temporary reasons, like bugs, or lack of polish and maturity. But the reasons I do like it aren't as temporary, they are a set of good decisions already made. And the other reasons I do like it is the software availability, the stability and speed under the environment, using it as a web server, my own history of knowing how to use it -- all more established pros for Ubuntu. So, I can use that, or Gnome, or the Fallback, or any other environment really but in the switching back and forth it was ultimately Unity that seemed most nice to be on. I will, however, try out Cinnamon again. And I like using other environments as well, but there are negatives to them all. The ol' Windows 95 panel with a user's open app buttons (small icons and window titles) are arranged by when the apps were launched by the user. But they should be pinned icons that don't vary their location -- and launchers shouldn't be separate icons from these buttons, its superfluous -- that's my intuition now, especially after using Windows 7 and Macs, and Unity. I have my issues with Docky and Cairo and AWN is dead. So Ubuntu I think gets a lot of things right, adapting to some usable alternatives to the old Windows 95 desktop I discovered 15 years ago. It has a good dock, good global search, more screen space. But I like other environments too, I'll give it a fuller exploration when I have the time. The good thing about Unity is, it not being too customizable right now, I don't waste time trying to customize my desktop like I would on KDE.
This is telling. I empathize with the author. Here is what he is saying: I really, really want to like Unity. I'm giving it a huge benefit of the doubt, and yet I simply cannot stomach it. I am compelled to go elsewhere. It seems to be getting better but I still cannot use it.
This entire blog post reads like someone trying desperately to convince themselves something of which they don't truly believe.