Linux Mint 12 is a new step for the Linux Mint Project, using new technologies and a brand new desktop. Because of changes with the Gnome desktop the Mint Project was forced to either hold off on a new release until some issues are worked out of Gnome 3 or change their desktop. Mint took a middle ground using "Mate", a fork of Gnome 2 which is compatible with Gnome 3. Thanks to MATE, you can run both versions of Gnome on the same system. As with any major change, the Linux Mint "Lisa" release isn't without it's bumps along the way. If you are looking for a stable release with that truly minty flavor we still recommend Linux Mint 11 for the time being.