GDebi / LSC in lieu of Ubuntu Software Center?

Hello all,

As a frustrated Ubuntu switcher to Zorin OS, I love the elegant simplicity of its design. But one of the things about "New Ubuntu" which is horrendous IMO (besides Unity) is the monstrosity that has become the Ubuntu Software Center.

Not only does it take up a lot of room, it plies the user with advertising, is incredibly slow on smaller computers, and takes over as the default installer for .deb files, meaning if you want to download, say, Skype, or update Chrome, you will be coming face to face with it. (Now I realize that last one is easy to fix-- I was going to post on switching default file handler and GDebi-- but to a new user it would probably simplify their experience if they were to understand a ".deb" like an ".exe" file-- something to be careful with, but an overall simple general way to install a program.)

However, this still doesn't give people easy access to the repos without the Software Center beast.

Now, I know the lite version is closer to Lubuntu, and may use the memory-friendly-and-already-in-Synaptic Lubuntu Software Center, but I wonder if all around it would be better to adopt that as a simpler standard, and load it with more repos, open & closed, and give it a nicer GUI.

Thoughts?

swarfendor437 wrote:I could live with that - Synaptic is pretty straightforward once you get used to it - and no adverts!

Oh definitely if you are a power user. I had to use Synaptic today to lock a file to get the Blink SIP to work (it's inherent not to Precise, but a libgcrypt file). I was thinking of the basic end user, who my guess is would be very intimidated by the look of Synaptic.

I noticed Peppermint semi-branded their Lubuntu software center (but then that's just Lubuntu with a couple of web app icons). If we had something like that it'd be awesome. Set a few default repos and it would be a totally freed-up experience.