Hello,

I've been a Ubuntu user since version 8 to version 10. After they release version 11 with Gnome3 I just stopped liking them. I switched to Linux mint but I did not like as much. Also, I have tried Fedora, Debian and OpenSuse. Which Distro do you guys think is better? I really don't want to deal with Gnome3. It is annoying.
Feel free to suggest other Distros. Basically, I use my computer for school work, browsing the net, watching videos and playing music, etc. Nothing major.
I have an Intel i3 2.3GHZ, 4GB of RAM and 500GB Dell laptop. Should I install a 32 or 64 version?
Thank you!

Slackware. Its elegant simplicity makes it one of the easiest distros to use, once you learn how to use it (which is really not that difficult, but it does expect you to RTFM).

From the choices you listed, Debian or Mint. Of the two, I prefer Debian, but I tend to value stability over bleeding-edge. Debian is my second favorite after Slack; Squeeze is running on this here computer on which I am typing at this moment. I'm running Mint with MATE on another computer and am quite happy with it.

My favorite window manager is Fluxbox and I recommend your taking a look at it; I haven't set it up with Mint yet, but I plan to. It doesn't look like much out of the box, but it is quite versatile and highly configurable and can be set up to be quite attractive.

Your computer can probably take 64BIT just fine. Now with the GUI you will have to try different environment and then select the one you like best, there is KDE, LXDE and Xfce, the guys at LinuxMint had create something they called Mate you can install in Ubuntu. It looks like the old Gnome 2.

Your computer has also enough power to install more than just one graphical interface and then select a different one on login, I mean just for test them.

If you are already familiar with Ubuntu I would suggest you to stick with that for a while.

Good luck to you

This is not true. Mate was created by some folks on the Arch Linux side of things. I believe Linux Mint was just one of the first adopters, likely in order to poach unhappy Ubuntu, Unity renegades.

Do you realise that a Gnu/Linux distribution; such as Ubuntu, are not limited to one desktop environment, (admittedly, with Canonical making several *buntus with different names, and all that's different is the desktop environment, i can understand such confusion). As TroN pointed out, there are many, and i too also recommend trying as many as possible before settling on one.
There is no need to switch distribution just because of Unity, just install a different desktop environment from synaptic.
If you were very happy with Gnome2, and really don't want to change, look into the mate desktop environment and see if it appeals to you.

Debian is my favorite distro. I run Wheezy with Gnome3 (I actually LIKE Gnome3 ) on one laptop, Debian based Crunchbang on another, and am in the process of installing Squeeze PPC on my old PowerMac G5.
Debian + XFCE is a great combination, if you like a classic DE. I would use it or Cinnamon before I'd go near MATE.

I agree with you about Gnome 3 and Unity: not on my computer! But it's not what we think is better, but what you think. The things you want to do can be done with any distro, but in computing it's a case of "it's not what you do, it's the way that you do it." I quit Fedora because it had become too changeable and experimental; I don't like SUSE because I don't like KDE and its implementation of Xfce is poor; Mint and Debian use deb and I'm used to rpm. Your reasons are probably totally different. What put you off Mint, Fedora, Debian, and OpenSUSE? Unless we know, we can't say what you would like.

debian is a nice distro as you were ubuntu user it will be more easier for you to hands on debian.

As Knightron said, almost all Linux distros offer more than one desktop environment. Ubuntu offers may choices here as well.
If you are happy with the Ubuntu base and the APT package management system, you may want to consider trying Lubuntu: http://lubuntu.net/
Lubuntu uses the light and simple LXDE desktop. Lubuntu is the lightest and fastest member of the Ubuntu family.

I'd suggest you give Xubuntu a try. It's Ubuntu with the XFCE desktop environment. Very comfortable, very aesthetically appealing out of the box, and it will "just work" for all the uses you describe. Plus, you don't have to learn a new distro, because it is Ubuntu (though it looks completly different).

It's where a lot of Ubuntu users are going after the Unity fiasco.

I suggest Linux Mint 13 XFCE (Maya) edition is best suited for your requirements. It comes with multimedia codecs out of the box with XFCE 4.10 and full set of productivity tools for Office,Image editing,Internet and Multimedia. It is quite responsive and beautiful with good set of wallpapers and themes/icons. Plus it is based on Xubuntu 12.04 and is quite stable. I switched from Xubuntu 12.04 two months back to Linux Mint and so far I am not having any issues.

Unless you want to run something like CentOS with gnome 2.X, or MATE (gnome 2.X fork) the easiest way around this is to get an Xfce version of whatever distro you decide on. Or you might like LXDE, or fluxbox, or something even simpler.

You've got more choices than just Gnome 3 or KDE 4.

i3 with Intel HD graphics? Might as well install debian.

IMO the _only_ thing that made ubuntu easier for newbies is the 'additional drivers' tool (jockey), mostly used to add closed source drivers for GPUs and wireless. Since you have intel graphics, there are no closed drivers for you video chip. The wireless could need some stuffing with, but it shouldnt be too hard, and in some cases will run 'out of the box' with debian.

i3s are fully 64bit capable. Personally I've been usign 64bit for years now and never had any issues, but there can be occasional problems with 64bit versions of some software.

Hello Guys,

Thanks to all of you for responding to this post. Basically, I stopped using OpenSuse back in 08 because, first I couldn't install wireless drivers for my laptop, then when I finally got it working, I noticed that Flash player videos were running slow so that's when I switched to Ubuntu 8 which I used until Gnome3 came out. I tried Fedora last year, but as DavidMcCann said it has become too experimental and felt that I had to keep on upgrading it constantly. I tried Debian, but there was something that I could not get to work and I gave up. Then I installed Mint 12 but I accidentally change the Desktop theme and I couldn't get it back to what it was... I gave up and I installed W$downs 7.
I will download Mint with Mate, Debian and Slackware. I will test them and make a decision.
Thank you all again!

From 2008 to today, many changes had happened in the Open Source world. I ensure you if you try any of these distros again it will be a different experience. Except of course with Slackware which changes very little from release to release. Debian upgrades are also no too often.

Good luck to you!

I highly recommend Salix. It's Slackware-based but it takes care of your deps for you. Since it's based on Slack it's highly stable and runs very well on my old computer. Also, Debian.

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That horrible moment when you type a really long post, and decide you want to use a smiley, so you tell noscript to temporarily allow this entire page, and bamn, there goes all your post! gaahahah!!!!

Main point, i hate Salix, it doesn't work. If you want to take that path, install slapt-get on Slackware.

I still think there's no point in installing a new distro, just install mate from synaptic. If you must install a new disto, Linux Mint Mate edition is the right path to the OP.