Is there a Unity alternative?

Solution 1:

With both Gnome 3 and Unity interfaces the current & possibly future directions of the newer linux distros, my advise would be not to look backwards, but to consider alternative desktop interfaces.

XFCE is such an example, with many of the application indicators you previously have used.

You can either try a brand new install of Xubuntu - or just search for XFCE meta package in the software center and install the desktop.

Logout and choose the XFCE session.

Solution 2:

The Old desktop configuration is already in Natty : Ubuntu Classic Desktop You can easily switch to it.

Solution 3:

There is Unity 2D: https://launchpad.net/unity-2d

it is nearly as good as Unity but eats much less resources:

• How do I install and switch to the Unity 2D desktop?