Comment 16 for bug 239231

* I have two laptops with Ubuntu 9.10 on.
* Acer: has been upgraded to 9.10 from older version Ubuntu and has workspace switcher (2.28.0) properties provide naming, names display on mouseover and under neat lateral list displayed when going ctrl+alt+left|right. Workspace change is instant. It's great. Long may it live.
* HP Mini: does it much worse. It has a new install of 9.10 replacing XP and it has the same workspace switcher (2.28.0 - yes, that's right) but with preferences only providing columns and rows. I have used gconf-editor to enable names and to set them, as on #95959 - but to no avail. Still show either "Desk n" or blank label or sometimes "Desk 1" for ALL. Workplace change is by lateral "sliding" which is no great hassle. The lateral list when going ctrl+alt+left|right has HUGE icons and no labels at all. Click and drag to move applications between workspaces displays as a 'hint' on mouseover in the panel display, but does not work - apps stay where they are.
* I'm not pushing for a fix - it's merely a mystery and an aggravation, but it illustrates why I think Linux, for all its genuinely superior and ethical qualities, isn't yet ready to become a serious contender for the Mass Distribution Big Kahuna.