A stepped-up focus on mobile platforms was one of the solutions proposed--specifically, the addition of touch enablement, with a particular eye toward the desktop's use on tablets.

"We are already working on a new effort to track and address issues related to GNOME on touch devices, and we are going to try to obtain hardware that can be used for development and testing purposes," Day explained. "We have set the goal of having a touch-compatible GNOME 3 within a maximum of 18 months."

GNOME 2's Enduring Appeal

Even while he outlined the project's new mobile-oriented plans, Day did note that "existing types of devices--primarily laptops and desktops--have to remain the primary focus for GNOME. These are what the members of our community use every day, and they are the primary market for existing GNOME-based distributions."

Still, it feels a bit ironic to be hearing about these forward-looking plans at a time when interest in the old GNOME 2 appears to be reaching new heights.