Proposed F19 Feature: Cinnamon as Default Desktop

[Martin Sourada]

On Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:53:20 -0800 
Adam Williamson wrote:
> You're a new Linux user, you go to our download page, and instead of a
> simple big green Download button, it starts asking you questions about
> what 'desktop environment' you want? What the hell is this crap?
Well, than with the current model you either:
 * download an ISO that fails to boot, because you still have a 32bit
   machine -> never think about Fedora again.
 * See gnome shell, something totally different to what you've ever
   used -> what the hell is this crap? Walk away.
 * If you happen to like (Yay, it looks like my Android phone!) it
   you'll get greeted by installed with grey icons -> wait what? Is
   that actually for a computer with a colour display? Is that thing
   modern? I don't want to use oldish stuff. Walk away.
 * And if you still persist, you get greeted with an installer that's
   completely different to anything you've ever used. Where the hell is
   the "next" button? Have I forgot anything? I'm not feeling safe
   installing this. Walk away.

If you want to target this kind of users, you need to provide them with
similar-to-Windows experience -- or have a really strong marketing,
like Ubuntu does, to make users feel it's cool to use something they
don't know/like at first -- if you don't want them to quit instantly.
First impression does a lot and gnome shell isn't especially good with
*first* impressions.

I think the no-single-default DE is better. Let's say I think it's
better to go with more "defaults" -- i.e. the initial choice would be
of DEs that are known to be well maintained and supported in Fedora.
That's GNOME and KDE at the very least. The app defaults are then up to
the various desktops' teams -> they would want to make their desktop
appeal to users if they cannot count on being downloaded directly from
homepage, right? And lets hope (WRT the bottom couple of points above)
that anacoda UI gets better in F20 (I generally agree with the reasons
why was anaconda finally rewritten).

Martin
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