Save up to 75% off PC games (until 21-Feb) as Valve opens Linux video game store

[#1]

[quote=BBC News - 15th Feb 2013]
Software firm Valve has launched a Linux version of its Steam game store.
The games made available via the online Steam store are playable on the Ubuntu version of the Linux open-source operating system.
Through the store, Ubuntu users can get at almost 60 games including popular titles such as CounterStrike and Team Fortress 2.

[quote=BBC News - 15th Feb 2013]
As it opened the Linux store, Valve also cut the prices of the PC and Mac versions of games available to Ubuntu users by up to 75%. The sale will run until 21 February.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21471974

[#2]

Fantastic.
Having said that, I've been less and less impressed with Ubuntu as it has matured. It used to be fairly fast and streamlined and finding my way around the GUI was very simple.
The last version I installed (12.10) bombarded me with adverts everytime I tried to find the restricted drivers application on their Unity Desktop or whatever it's called and I gave up trying to work out what was going on in the end and reinstalled with xbmc as it was on a machine that was destined to become a media center.
I feel Ubuntu should start off with a minimal desktop and let users decide which way they want to go from there. I know there are ways to get the old GDM stuff back in 12.04-12.10 but I'm seriously unimpressed with the later releases now (having been a user for 6+ years)

[#3]

You are not forced to use that rubbish Unity thing.
Try Xubuntu for a very minimal GUI - which is also faster on an underpowered PC.
Or use Mint if you want the full GUI on mainly Ubuntu (but no Unity or other rubbish). 

[#4]

I've taken to installing Ubuntu Server then XFCE4 if I need a GUI - 99% of the stuff I do is CLI anyway
startx takes less than a second to load the GUI with XFCE4