Comment 11 for bug 825146

The whole Unity look is now the visual identity of Ubuntu, not just a small button on the top left corner, and new users will still click on a logo, the only difference is that this logo will be in the launcher instead of the panel. Aesthetically (which is very subjective) it's not that much of a big deal.

The transfer of the BFB to the launcher is very important because it allows the possibility (in the near future?) of moving the launcher to the bottom, to the right or to wherever the user wants, giving more autonomy to the launcher. The main reason why moving the launcher isn't currently possible is exactly because of the BFB in the top panel. At this moment this is still a huge source of criticism for Unity, and that possibility could help people from RTL cultures to adapt better to the new Ubuntu and bring back lots of users who were used to a dock in the bottom.

In addition, with the removal of applications and folder lenses icons there is no cluttering of the application list, it's the absolute opposite: they're trading 2 icons for 1, actually opening more room in the launcher.

What makes me most excited about moving the BFB to the launcher is that this also makes room for the wonderful quicklists, and badges and other functionalities!

The icon in the launcher really could be overlooked (probably less than the Natty BFB is), but this is just a matter of making the new Dash icon in the launcher stand out more than the other icons. The icon should be very different from the rest or the area in the launcher around the dash button should be themed.