Ubuntu Unity and GNOME Shell: New Looks for Desktop Linux | eWEEK Labs | eWeek

Ubuntu Unity and GNOME Shell: New Looks for Desktop Linux

Written By
Jason Brooks
Jason Brooks
May 6, 2011
1 minute read
eWeek content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

GNOME Shell represents a new desktop approach intended to make applications easier to access, limit workspace distractions and make more use of modern desktop and notebook hardware.

Canonical, for its part, has broken ranks with GNOME by opting to not participate in GNOME Shell, instead developing for Ubuntu a separate interface, called “Unity.” Unity is rooted in many of the same components and designed with many of the same goals as GNOME, albeit with different implementation details.

Read my review at eWEEK.com, and check out the screen captures I took of GNOME Shell, Unity, and the two environments’ fallback desktops below:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw7gT-Yj2hE]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaSgVQJxIos]

eWeek Logo

eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site's focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.