Comment 22 for bug 814833

i'm no expert, but i think the dash is slower than gnome-shell because:
1) it seems the dash acts like a separate program that needs to start everytime. - Gnome-shell seems to be fully loaded in the background.
2) the dynamic content. everytime the dash opens, it needs to connect to the database and retrieve the items. it does so right from the start. when you start typing, with each letter, a new search is started to try and match. - Gnome Shell starts with a fixed list, and only searches when you type.
3) there's less animation involved. gnome-shell doesn't have previews, let alone the split-and-zoom effect. also the windows aren't displayed behind the overview, so no blur is needed, just a dark overlay. also scrolling the menu is less smooth than in unity dash.

i like the idea behind unity more than gnome-shell, but right now, i'm almost scared to open the dash. i found myself looking for an app in the launcher, notice it's not there, open a terminal instead and start the app from command line.

i'm willing to lose eyecandy if it makes the dash work again.