Unity is the new Ubuntu Netbook Edition interface which will be available for Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat.

The new Unity Launcher (which they say its not a dock, but still looks like one to me) will use 2 styles: compact and an accordion style so that it can reach its goal: 40 entries on a 600px-tall screen. Also, you’ll be able to scroll the launcher in 3 ways: using the scroll-wheel, auto scroll (activated when the cursor approaches the edges) and dragging + inertia (my favourite).

The Unity Launcher also has keyboard support: if you hold the Super key for a moment, shortcuts to launch applications will appear as overlays, tilting the icons accordingly.

Here is a video provided by design.Canonical with the Unity Launcher in action:

Note: the bottom icon, in this case to switch to Windows, will be present only in dual-boot contexts – Ubuntu Light.

Also, in the video a new more purple-ish wallpaper can be spotted. Could that be the new Ubuntu 10.10 wallpaper? Edit: most probably not, since the Ubuntu wallpaper is usually not branded.

ubuntu unity launcher dock

What do you think?

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