If you don't like the Unity desktop, just install another one like LXDE or KDE if your system performs well. Gnome is always buggy. Minimizing windows makes them disappear entirely on occasion and then you can't raise them again & the menu isn't logically laid out or accessible for the typical generic Gnome desktop. Having said that, Mint has done wonders to improve Gnome.

The only advantage to Gnome is that it is slightly faster then KDE, but still slower then the true lightweight desktops like flux, LXDE, Xfce and so on.

All the multimedia stuff works regardless of the desktop you choose. In Mint, the networking seems to work equally well regardless of desktop. Mint also spotted all my hardware and even told me the exact specs and model of my laptop, which no other Linux distro has done. Mint also sees my hybrid hard drive as well as my ancient HP T65 all in one printer. M$ Vista doesn't see my printer or my hard drive. So much for M$ working with more hardware then Linux.

I've tried Ubuntu briefly. While it is fairly user friendly, it just seems to be a little bit more crude and not as well thought out. For your debian/Ubuntu based distros, Mint or Mepis are better choices. Mepis, however, doesn't come with multimedia out of the box. Like Fedora, you have to run around the Internet to get the missing codecs.

The only other distro that is as user friendly as Mint is PC-BSD 9.0 Isotope edition. Each release just gets better. (off topic, gut still relevant)

Mint is also much faster then Fedora or SuSE.

Mint is based on ubuntu,
I prefer ubuntu than mint.

I realise we have been told not to feed you BUT it's obvious you don't have a clue of what you are talking about. There are 2, read it TWO, varieties of Linux Mint. The original is based on Ubuntu and they have regular names like Cassandra and are also numbered. The other is based on Debian and it has names like LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition). Please start trying to be factual and show us you are not a complete troll.

@k3lt01: Update your ignore list - problem solved.

I don't use it simply because I can learn so much from others. Human behaviour is fascinating

Exactly, I want an operating system with a good out of the box desktop, and leave the decisions as to what software I want up to me. Just because mint has more standard crap on it dpes not mean it is better. Once someone makes an argument as to the actual usability of the default desktop, and not what they blindly preload onto it, I might actually listen. And in the future, Gnome3 and Unity are going to go up against the KDE. With Gnome 2 starting to be put to rest, gnome3/unity is the way to go. OS X may be overpriced, but it's ui design philosophy is spot on, however I do believe that unity improves on the default OS X ui. I do most of my work from the terminal any way.

I have used Mint as my main OS for more than 2 yrs now & have rarely been disappointed.
I had a look at Unity when it arrived & dismissed it because of the lack of customisation.
Mint's move to Gnome3 disturbed me for a moment.
The whole interface was a bit flaky but subsequent updates have solved that.
Still a problem with ATI drivers but I don't really care 'cause I don't game much & I'm not into customising the desktop, just the system.
Mint has the solid backup of Ubuntu with a dose of steroids.
Multimedia just works, a great menu, good support on the Forums & a solid choice in not being a rolling distro but one that tests 1st then releases.
I have gone against recommendations & updated my kernel this time as an experiment.
In my opinion this created a more solid experience but this will always depend on the particular hardware config.
It has further enhanced Gnome3 & it's beginning to look like a good decision. Well done on the part of the developers.
Innovation can be a bit 'sus at times but I think in time it will be welcomed.


Used to spend a lot of time trawling the forums here & have always found them fair & supportive, particularly the Mandrake/Mandriva & early Fedora.
Now I find that Mint has this sub-forum on Linux Questions I will once again spend some time here.

Well done.

A Grumpyoldman

Your comments on Ubuntu Unity is biased.
Ubuntu is just a greater Distro than anyone else.

Ah, the troll is back.

Trolls are difficult to beat down because they have regenerative capabilities. They might regain Healt Points after being hurt until they are at 100% of Health again.

Trolls, however, are weak against special attacks, such as fire or acid. They cannot regenerate wounds caused by these effects. For this, I highly recommend to use magic attacks against trolls and to ensure the spells are based in one of this two elements. "Fireball" and "Melf's Acid Arrow" are good options to fight trolls.

The alternative is just to let then starve without food.

lol BlackRider, that brings back memories of Dungeons and Dragons

http://www.distrowatch.com/

Why do we have to tell you? Go see for yourself.

You might want to consider taking your own advice.

I'm not sure I understand where you're going with this.
Which is fair enough an opinion even though people have given reasons why it is not greater.
Then you say this.
So it turns out that it's not as good* as Mint after all, which seems to be the consensus (sorry if anyone thinks I putting words into their mouths) here.
Sorry for Troll feeding but I couldn't resist.
*If popular==good and I don't know any other reason to point to distrowatch.com.

Hardly. No debian, no ubuntu. No ubuntu, wont make a difference to debian.

Ubuntu is just another distro based on someone elses work. Apart from the crappy bits like unity.