Don't update, then, and use whatever distribution suits you better. It's one the greatest things about Linux, choice.

No change/upgrade will ever fit every user. I use Python, Libreoffice (not that these are really dependant of the new release) and I like Unity, can't wait to try it out.

You do not have to change distributions because you do not like the desktop, you can simply install another one.

That's not entirely true with Ubuntu. With most other distros, yeah, you don't need to change everything else to change a DE, but because unity integrates with everything, which means that Gnome and Cinnamon don't work well with ye-standarde Ubuntu.

Its been a while since I configure my CPU, but I am currently running Ubuntu 12.10 (upgraded incrementally from 10.04), with an alternate desktop (Awesome). I have never* noticed a program not work because off this, including the applet icons. The main point to consider in this is that most of the programs that Ubuntu runs are not written, nor maintained, for Ubuntu. Therefore, they should work perfectly well with other desktops. The only incompatibility that Unity introduces is when you are actually using Unity. When you are using another desktop, a program that works in another distro should work just as well. If you install, for example, the package "mate-session-manager", you will install a traditional desktop, and still be running Ubuntu. There are many other desktops to choice from in the Ubuntu repositories. Admittadly, installing one not in the repos will be more complicated.

* I have actually run into 1 problem (with java) arising from the fact that Awesome is a non-re-parenting WM. This rarely came up, and was solved by claiming to be running 'LG3D' as my window manager, as that is on java's hard coded list on non-re-parenting WM`s.

To be fair, that's a Java issue and not an Ubuntu issue. It came up for me with xmonad on another distribution entirely.

The only distribution of Linux I've used is 12.10 (and now 13.04). I use the Cinnamon desktop, and it seems great, I've had no problems with it. So now I'm wondering, could you explain a little bit what I'm missing out on?

Every time I've installed Cinnamon on Ubuntu (the main one, not a different flavor) there have been integration problems because Ubuntu has a bunch of patches on regular GTK stuff and hooks into it.

There is a GNOME flavor of Ubuntu. You can simply install `sudo apt-get install gnome-shell`.