TL:DR
elementaryOS does nothing that can't be done in GNOME and it provides incredibly slow updates as well as abandon many of their own projects because they take on more than they can handle.

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> It originally was dubbed "Isis." Developers quickly reissued the beta release under the name "Freya" in response to the mounting international crisis involving the terrorist group known as "ISIS" or "ISIL," among other names.

I do remember it being named that but I did not know that is why they changed it...that was a good decision then.

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> Distinctive Distro

Everything in this section of your article has nothing to do with the Distro underpinnings and purely with the Desktop Environment. The part that I don't like about eOS is that nothing they do is really that original. You can do everything in Pantheon via GNOME Extensions.

> Linux panel -- sort of -- resides at the top

Just like GNOME.

> Freya displays the basic system icons along the right end of the almost-there panel.

Just like GNOME.

> date and time are visible in the center of the panel

Just like GNOME.

> An unconventional Applications menu button rests at the left end

Available in GNOME via many Extensions. GNO-Menu is actually an even better menu than elementary's. https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/608/gnomenu/

> Mac-like configurable docking bar sits in the center bottom of the screen.

Available in GNOME via an Extension. https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/815/simple-dock/

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> Not Your Standard Apps

> the developers created applications built specifically for Elementary OS.

> For example, Dexter is an address book. Postler is an email client. Nautilus Elementary is a simple file manager.

Dexter has been abandoned. Postler has been abandoned. Nautilus Elementary is simply a redesign of Nautilus. (Nemo is better)

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> Standard Works Too

> If an application runs on Ubuntu, it will run on Elementary OS. In fact, I found that if it runs on Linux Mint, it will run on Elementary OS as well.

How did you not know that already? Anything based on Ubuntu such as elementaryOS and Linux Mint can run Ubuntu packages...that is the entire point of basing a distro on Ubuntu.

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> Freya Freshness

> One new feature is the ability to search in the Files application with a Ctrl+F shortcut.

Already available in GNOME's Nautilus.

> A big plus to Pantheon is the addition of Online Accounts.

Already available in GNOME 3.12.

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> Workspace Washout

> Distros that let me place a Workplace Switcher app on the panel for near-instant point and click "channel changing" always win high praise from me... Freya does not do this. The Elementary OS distro uses a GNOME 3-like approach.

Freya does not do this, correct but the GNOME-like this is wrong because GNOME offers multiple methods to handle workspaces. My favorite default option is press the "Super" key and then just scroll your mouse wheel.

You can actually add an indicator to the GNOME panel with this extension, https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/21/workspace-indicator/, or you could make the entire panel the indicator with this extension, https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/701/top-panel-workspace-scroll/

Or you could use the extension TaskBar which is actually really awesome that includes this feature, Quick Launch tray, Ability to Disable things like the hotcorner, Make the panel transparent, add a bottom panel and much more. https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/584/taskbar/

> In the GNOME 3 desktop, you have to slide open a panel from the right screen edge and drag around thumbnail views.

No you don't, you can do that or you can move Overview windows to various workspaces or you can use shortcuts to move applications. These are just default options, you can even install extensions to change this functionality.

> Appearance Matters

> One of the coolest things in the Freya beta is improvements to the theme design of the top panel. Is transparency changes based on the color of the background wallpaper.

You can add panel transparency to GNOME very easily with https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/857/transparent-top-bar/ or do all kinds of stuff including this with the TaskBar extension I mentioned earlier. The auto-detection part of elementary's method is cool but not a reason to use the distro.

> Another cool view is how the title bar merges with the toolbars.

Already available with GNOME apps.

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> Bottom Line

> The 2013, or Luna, version of Elementary OS is a very solid Linux distro.

2013 version with applications from 2011-2012 in the repo.

> Out-of-the-box Elementory OS leaves much to be desired in software to support real everyday computing tasks.

Agreed but also the apps it has in their new "Freya" repo are from 14.04 so they will be outdated even before Freya is released since 14.10 is coming out in 2-3 weeks.

I use luna as my daily driver in my 2009 Macbook pro. It's a great OS and the first successful transition I've made to Linux as a desktop system. That being said, the developers are stubborn and do not take suggestions well.

They are often on reddit answering questions. When a suggestion comes up, they shut it down attributing decision to their research to create a one-size-fits all OS. I suggested a way to edit icon and grid sizing for slingshot... got shot down saying they don't feel users need that kind of control. So now I am stuck with slingshot taking up 3/4 my screen when it opens up.

Many others in the thread shared my same desire.