Mailing the story:
Install Gnome 3.8 on Ubuntu 12.10 or 13.04
Ubuntu 13.04 users can expect to find Gnome 3.6 as the default desktop, and not the newer 3.8. But rumour suggests that users can still get their hands on Gnome 3.8 if they desire. After testing I found that it is actually 3.79.x that can be installed. Many of the same features are available, including classic desktop.