My Desktop is Changing

It has been stated many times over that the FOSS community creates what it does to "scratch an itch", or more plainly, "to fill a need". So, one would assume that Unity and Gnome Shell came about because somebody didn't like the way their Linux disto worked on their smartphone or tablet.

Now, just what smartphone or tablet can I buy running Linux (not Android)? What? None, you say!

Then just why are we being saddled with a smartphone/tablet interface when there aren't any systems running them? And there isn't a hope in <you know where> of there ever being one for sale.

And don't say "you have to try it for a while to love it". Unity is totally useless, and I DO have a testbox running Fedora 15 with Gnome Shell to "get used to it". But I still use Pinguy OS on my main systems because I can get work done with Gnome 2.x with fewer clicks.

Since moving away from KDE I just cannot get back into that DE, and XFCE just isn't quite there yet. If XFCE would let me change menus easily and a few other things I'd probably use it. But for now I guess I'll just stick with a distro using Gnome 2.x until I can't any more.

I have no less than three,... no sorry,... four tablet devices that run a full Linux. Only one came that way, and while it actually came running Linux, I've since converted it over to the singular WinXPee machine in my house. The others needed to have their hard drives wiped and Linux installed. I'm typing this on one of them now (a Dell Inspiron Duo convertible netbook).

I consider the systems that come with a keyboard (even a detachable one) to pretty much be a netbook (as named by you) as opposed to a tablet.

Then you've never seen an Inspiron Duo in touch screen orientation.

So, for perhaps 1% of Linux users we want to change everyone to a touchscreen oriented DE?

I never said anything like that. I've modified my Gnome 2 desktop for tablet use. Plus, just as Linux users are more than 1% of computer users, so too are touch screen users more than 1% of Linux users.

@cabreh: According to the Gnome and Unity people, yes. We need to all be using DEs that are clumsy on desktop systems so that touchscreen and Facebook users will feel at home.

I actually have seen an Inspiron Duo in touch screen orientation -- but I wasn't actually able to read the screen.

It's too bad, because I love the idea.

Then, you should see what I've done with the thing... Very useable...