Try other distros
I have found Linux Mint with the MATE 1.4 Desktop to be a suitable replacement., not ideal, but better than Unity. I have also tried SolutOS and that is better than Unity and very much Gnome 2 like as is ZorinOS. Another good feature with ZorinOS is you can have a choice in Desktops - Gnome 2, Win. XP or Win. 7. It is still Linux under the covers, but the Desktop feel is similar and you can switch from one Desktop to the other via the Menu and logging off and logging back on. One thing I missed was the ability to create panels and populate them like I could with Ubuntu and Gnome 2. Zorin and Solut provide that capability and as does MATE. I prefer to right-click like Gnome 2 and place on Desktop or Panel vs "Drag and Drop", and not all applications allow it.
