Users who upgraded ubuntu versions were able to simply select gnome from a drop down menu at the login screen. People who installed 11.04+ (I think) had to inst

Users who upgraded ubuntu versions were able to simply select gnome from a drop down menu at the login screen. People who installed 11.04+ (I think) had to install gnome after the main installation. Changing the default is the only way you can get rapid improvement in a market. Making it easy to switch back satisfies those who are significantly upset with the change. It is the best compromise I have seen between progress and supporting legacy users. Also, unity only changed the desktop. The apps you run were the same. Metro has a different UI paradigm for the apps themselves.