Linux Desktop Evolves with GNOME 2.30 - page 2

Social Networking Integration, GNOME Shell

GNOME 3 coming soon

GNOME 2.30 also contains a new, usable preview of the GNOME Shell, which had previously been available in the earlier GNOME 2.28 release that debuted in September.

The GNOME Shell is a new user interface for GNOME that will become the default in the GNOME 3.0 release, and which provides a different approach to loading applications and accessing documents.

"Users can try it out and use it today and many people are using it as their primary user interface," Peters said. "We are still adding more features to it, but it already brings a lot of advantages over the traditional interface."

According to Peters, the biggest difference that users will notice in the new GNOME Shell is the focus it offers on the task on which they're working.

"While focused on the current task, the user is unobtrusively notified about things they might care about via the message tray," Peters said. "Quick replies can be done without switching context. Search -- as opposed to sorting -- is the primary way a user finds things."

While GNOME Shell is the most visual component of GNOME 3, there are other key items in the upcoming GNOME 3 release. Peters noted that there will also be something called the GNOME Activity Journal, which is a new way to find and manage your data on the desktop.

At this point, Peters noted that the biggest challenge in putting together GNOME 3 is making sure all the pieces -- like documentation, accessibility, and new features -- come together in time, while also coordinating marketing with GNOME's partners.

Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at InternetNews.com, the news service of Internet.com, the network for technology professionals.