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It seems fair to say that Linux users enjoy a degree of choice that's unmatched by the proprietary players in the desktop computing world, what with the wide variety of bothdistributions and desktop environments from which they can choose.

For that reason, it's all the more striking when large numbers of users express a marked preference for the same thing.

Case in point? GNOME 2.

Despite the best efforts of projects including Ubuntu and GNOME itself to entice users with new, mobile-style interfaces—namely,Unity and GNOME 3—legions of Linux users have resisted with equal vigor, demonstrating in no uncertain terms that their longtime favorite still holds the key to their computing hearts.

GNOME 2, of course, was long the default desktop interface in numerous Linux distributions, including Canonical's popular Ubuntu.

In 2011 the dramatically redesigned GNOME 3 arrived on the scene, however, right around the same time that its like-minded cousin, Unity, was made desktop Ubuntu's default interface. Both sparked considerable controversy.

Such has been the strength of many Linux users' preference, in fact, that over the past year or so we've seen the emergence of multiple efforts to recreate the good, old GNOME 2 experience, including the MATE and Cinnamon desktops and even whole distributions such as Fuduntu and SolusOS.

Then, finally, to the joy of many, the GNOME project announced that it was bringing GNOME 2 back.

This situation is by no means restricted to the Linux world, of course—just look to Windows 8's Modern UI for a parallel example on the proprietary side.

It is, however, a vivid illustration of the disconnect that seems to have arisen recently between software makers and large numbers of their users.

Both Unity and GNOME 3 have their fans, to be sure—as, no doubt, must Modern UI—but the fact is that new and shiny isn't always what users want; sometimes, they just want what has worked for them for years.

On that critical criterion, I hereby crown GNOME 2 this year's king of the Linux desktop.

The year is drawing to a close, so there's a very good chance that you now find yourself staring straight down the gaping maw of Windows 8.

Maybe someone gave you a new Windows tablet or PC as a gift. Or maybe you decided to use your holiday down time to upgrade an old PC. The details don't really matter. You're now using Windows 8 for the very first time, and you're searching for answers on how to make the OS an integral, productive part of your high-tech life.

Sound familiar? Then walk with me as we take a tour of recent PCWorld Windows 8 coverage. I trust we have answers to all your Windows 8 questions.

Right when the new OS launched, we published a number of essential how-to guides for first-time Windows 8 users. You can start your orientation process with this handy guide to maximizing your first 30 minutes with the new OS. But perhaps even more useful is our compendium of 20 must-know Windows 8 tips and tricks, which starts off with a thorough look at keyboard shortcuts—you should know them all if you don't have a touch screen.

But if you do have a touch screen device, then head straight to our guide to Windows 8 gesture commands. In this article (and in its accompany video) we describe how to navigate the initially confusing touch commands that leave many first-time users wonderingwhat the heck just hit them.

And if you don't have a touch screen monitor for the new OS, you should definitely read our guide to picking the right upgrade display for full Windows 8 compatibility.

Once you've become somewhat acclimated to the new Windows 8 landscape, it's time to fine-tune the OS experience to your personal preferences. At the top of the list is driver management. It's very possible that your new Windows 8 device boots up fine, but unless all your device drivers are up-to-date, you won't get the most high-performance experience possible (and driver issues may stop some peripherals from working altogether).

See our exhaustive guide on the whys, hows and wheres of Windows 8 drivers to nip all these issues in the bud.

Some Windows 8 problems have nothing to do with drivers. Instead, the OS itself is just innately challenging. To alleviate some of the built-in pain points, you absolutely must read our guide to the 8 worst Windows 8 irritations and how to fix them. Microsoft's decision to omit the traditional Start Button is among a host of bizarre development decisions, but luckily three different third-party utilities—Win8 Start Button, StartMenuPlus8 and Start8—can return the erstwhile Windows mainstay to your desktop.

But, hey, Microsoft didn't kill all the good things from previous versions of Windows. It just relegated many of them to hidden, second-class status. For a bunch of great tools hiding beneath the surface of Windows 8, check out this collection of 6 awesome Windows 8 utilities that no one knows about.

In the weeks since the new OS launched, we've published a number of deep-dive tutorials that explore the system's more innovative, richer features. For example, BitLocker To Go is built directly into Windows 8, and helps you quickly encrypt external storage devices like USB flash drives and portable hard drives. If you're concerned about your data security, you should also read our how-to on activating Windows Defender, a basic anti-malware tool that's not immediately exposed in many default installations of the OS.

Another great built-in Windows 8 feature is Storage Spaces, a tool that lets you combine all your sundry storage hardware into a single, virtual data pool—which you can then allocate more efficiently, for data redundancy and general file management. Besides explaining Storage Spaces, we also posted a great article on using Client Hyper-V, a tool that lets you virtualize older versions of Windows from within Windows 8.

Finally, it's possible that you just installed Windows 8 on a machine from yesteryear, and your gear isn't up to the task of running the new system in all its glory. If you find yourself in this sorry lot, read our tutorial on optimizing Windows 8 for older hardware. It explains which features to turn off, or otherwise disable.

Windows 8 comes with a bunch of pre-installed "modern UI" apps, so you might as well familiarize yourself with the most high-profile entries. We have detailed primers on Music,Photos, Mail, Calendar, SkyDrive and People. None of these apps is perfect, though theSkyDrive cloud service is an integral part of the new Microsoft ecosystem, so you really should check out its implementation in Windows 8.

Precisely because Microsoft's built-in apps are so lacking, you'll want to hit up the Windows Store for Windows 8 apps to populate your new Start Screen. On the day Windows 8 launched, we published our top 10 list of the Windows 8 apps to download first, but just this week we updated the concept with a new article geared specifically to Windows 8 tablets.

New Windows 8 hardware owners should also read our suggestions of the best streaming media apps for cord cutters, the best Windows 8 casual games (our author tested a vast selection, and then chose the 15 most worthy), and best productivity apps.

Between the iPhone 5, Windows 8 and the legal drama between Apple and Samsung, the tech world has been heating up quite a bit in 2012. The coming year hopefully will be just the same, if not better. And with the likes of Xbox 720 and Amazon Phone being released, it looks pretty exciting.

Apple iTV: There has been a lot of speculation about Apple venturing into the TV market and the company's CEO Apple CEO Tim Cook recently remarked that turning on a TV is like going "backwards in time by 20 or 30 years" and they want to revamp it. It would have both Siri and iSight enabling voice and facial recognition and priced at around $1500 to $2000.

Xbox 720: Finally Microsoft is getting to release its new game station around autumn 2013, which is expected to have the motion detection technology of Kinect and augmented reality 3D images. We certainly know what the gamers will be looking forward to!

Amazon Phone: So Amazon decided to add phone technology to its Kindle line. They are mostly aiming to increase profits, the phones would not be very costly, but Amazon is definitely trying to make the users spend a lot of money buying their services. A bit Faustian, but that's the way amazon rolls.

Google Glass: Google and Vuzix are teaming up to create a headband-eyeglass that will make sure you look 100% futuristic. It will project small colour image in front of you and connecting through Bluetooth it'll tell you all about people: their jobs, facebook photos and annoying tweets. With a price of $500, a piece of the future!

Nest: Developed by two ex-apple employees, Nest is said to be the 'iPhone of thermostats'. Basically it'll let you control the temperature of your home through phone and eventually learn your schedule to change your room ambience even before you get home. Priced at $250, this will be launched at the global market in the middle of the year.

Wi-spy Spectrum Analyser: If you are a regular person, you're tired of searching quiet Wi-Fi spots to download your favourite movie. That's when this handy device comes in- it will identify the quietest channel after isolating RF interfering sources at $199.

Wearable Videocam LX-2: The very first wearable videocam looxie LX2 will let the users wear and share hands free videos, stream live video and simultaneously share clips. Set the camera as the same direction as you, and it will capture whatever's in front of you, available for $149.

Oculus Rift: For the avid gamers, Virtual Reality gaming is a dream come true. Oculus Rift presents your environment in full 3D, with a 110° field of view tracking your head movements so you can roam around in virtual worlds. It's been trialled by some of the gaming industry's leading experts and is expected to be below the $300 mark.

Celluon Laser Projection Keyboard: The Celluon magic cube keyboard will let you type on your desk. Connect with your touch phone or tablet and voila! This is also compatible with iOS 4.3.5+,windows XP, vista, and Mac 10.4+ and gives you up to 150 minutes of use with its lithium battery at around $115.

Iphone Game controller: If you spent your days playing temple run and blobby volleyball, the iPhone game control is the thing for you. It has a classic figuration with four buttons facing the front, 4-way directional pad and shoulder buttons that can withstand any kind of button mashing. You can connect the controller to your phone via Bluetooth and if you really want it, it comes with a price tag of $39 only.

Tsir Wristband Phone Charger: No, it's not a whacky gadget. It's something all of us with smartphones need very dearly. It has a built-in battery for almost any device you can think of, starting with IPad to Smartphones to PSP. A polymer and wristwatch design with a no load and a function to save energy. For $59.99, the price maybe steep, but we want it!

Neural Impulse Actuator: The NIA is a forerunner in the new technology gadgets that can be used with a mouse for a more appealing gaming experience. It can stream bio potentials into a computer replacing the keyboard commands with intentions that are converted to tensions and then translated to command game play and cut your reaction by half to outdo your opponents in reflex based gaming.

All in all, 2013 looks rather interesting, and with the new MS Office 2013 and all the other software, you can bet it would spice up even more.