Gnome 3.x
Gnome 3.6 is the default desktop environment of Fedora 18. Gnome 3.x is the successor to the popular but long-toothed Gnome 2. The controversial desktop environment is best described by its full screen Activities Overview, which is similar to Ubuntu Unity's Dash. Gnome 3.x has continued the tradition of Gnome 2's exceptional library of applications. Gnome 3.6 also retained the use of such tried and tested applications such as Evince and Nautilus while adding a revamped notification system and integration with web services.
Desktop paging, application switching, and launchers can be controlled using the Gnome Shell, which is a huge departure from "traditional" desktops like Gnome 2, Xfce, and LXDE. Gnome 3 is not as easily configurable as KDE and can be occasionally suffocating in terms of how you handle open applications and virtual desktops especially when used with a small screen.
Iron Armor: The War Machine or Variable Threat Response Battle Suit
War Machine art from Iron Man#287 (1992)
During the early 90s, there was an attempt to convert the shiny golden Avenger to a darker and more bad-ass character through the VTRB suit. As expected, it didn't last long though the heavily-armed, bulky (and overrated) armor was spun off as an also-ran character War Machine, which featured Stark's friend, Jim Rhodes. The character has been intermittently popular, though the fancy armor really wasn't as well-liked as any of Anthony Stark's other designs (kind of like Gnome 3). Despite all the laser-guided missiles, mounted machine guns, missile launchers, and cannons, War Machine was easily stumped by the original Cable-led X-Force, beaten by Hank Pym through Pym Particles and a pocket full of coins, and was practically useless against guys like Wonder Man.
Gnome 3.x, like the War Machine when it debuted, was heralded as a superior replacement to its predecessor, but its reception has been largely unwelcome. Gnome 3.6 is available for Fedora 18 Spherical Cow by installing the Fedora 18 Desktop edition or through the Fedora 18 DVD.
Cinnamon
The Cinnamon project was partially a response to the outcry brought on by the release of Ubuntu's Unity Desktop and Gnome 3.x. Developed largely by the team behind Linux Mint, Cinnamon incorporates features from Gnome 2 and Gnome 3 while updating features and usability for today's more discerning Linux users. Cinnamon is a relatively "new" desktop environment and despite receiving a positive reception from the Linux community, is still under development. Aesthetics and useful applications are an obvious goal for the desktop environment as seen in this short Cinnamon review for Linux Mint. Like Xfce and LXDE, Cinnamon decided to opt for its own Cinnamon Settings manager, a unique file manager (Nemo), and its own Panel features. Unlike the two lightweight desktop environments, however, Cinnamon has considerable options for desktop special effects and window enhancements. I had a good experience running Cinnamon for Mint, but have yet to run tests on a Cinnamon Fedora desktop. However, if Cinnamon fits comfortably with Fedora as it did with Linux Mint, then Cinnamon can very well be a frontrunner for Linux desktop environments.
Iron Man Armor: Space Armor
In the 60s and 70s, Iron Man was able to trek the stars and destroy alien starships as easily as Thor (see Jim Starlin's stories with Adam Warlock and the Avengers). However, the 90s brought a more realistic approach to Iron Man's space-faring capabilities with various incarnations of a Space Armor, which is seen prominently in the extremely long saga called Operation Galactic Storm. The armor was almost as bulky as the Silver Centurion and comparable to the boxy red and golden armor Stark wore during the 90s. Besides being optimized for alien worlds and the harsh environment of space, the Space Armor also made Stark somewhat more of a jerk than he normally was, pulling rank on Captain America, berating magic user Sersi for mystically disguising his armor, and ordering half of the Avengers to "kill" the Supreme Intelligence of the Kree at the end of the storyline. The Space Armor was practical, flashy, and functional. It was, however, short-lived but a recurring model.
Cinnamon is not yet widely supported by other Linux distributions, but may gain traction yet. Cinnamon is available for Fedora 18 Spherical Cow through the Fedora 18 DVD.
Iron Man art from Iron Man Annual #13 (1992)
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